The Message Board

RE: Soft Shell Eggs

Posted 683 days ago

Try adding a liquid calcium to their water like "Ornathon"; spelling may be incorrect. Ask an avian vet; eg the vet at Carlingford N.S.W.
_________

RE: Soft Shell Eggs

Posted 669 days ago

First and foremost, I would do what Alan has advised you to do.....consult an Avian Vet.

My brother has chooks in his backyard, and whenever I eat eggs at home, I soak the empty shells in water overnight, before allowing them to dry outside in the sun. Then I put the dry shells in a large empty platic container with a lid, then shake like crazy until all the shells are broken up into small pieces. Sometimes I add a stone or two to the container when shaking it up. I then add the crushed egg shells to their pellets in a PVC "grain hopper" my brother has bought or made. It's basically a vertical piece of PVC pipe about 1 metre high, and about 15cm diameter. It's open at the top, and sealed closed at the bottom, with a short piece of pipe about 5cm long, attached to the bottom so it points upwards at about 45 degrees. He's attached it to a fence post, and pours the grain in the top and the chooks feed from the small "45 degree section" at the bottom. This saves him a HUGE amount of money in grain costs, as very little of the grain gets scavanged by other birds.

The crushed egg shells are "supposed" to boost the calcium in the chooks' diet.

RE: Soft Shell Eggs

Posted 669 days ago

The "grain hopper" looks very similar to this:

http://sheepyhollow.files.wordpress.com/2009/0
7/salt-feeder.jpg

http://www.boergoats.com/clean/art
icles/construction/figures/mineralfeedertransp.gif

RE: Soft Shell Eggs

Posted 654 days ago

Hi gasbag (good name) lol There is a really good site to answer all your chookie questions. It is aussie chook chat, try it, it is really helpful!

RE: Soft Shell Eggs

Posted 604 days ago

I have had two Isa Browns since February. They supposedly were point of lay last October. The first day I witnessed one hen go into a trance and when she moved there was a beautiful yellow yolk on the ground - no shell. Initially I was getting two eggs most days but with cooler weather, rain and a different brand of layer pellets (which they would not eat) the number dropped dramatically. I have recently been letting them roam my entire back garden as their run is not getting any sun and although I am sick of having to sweep the mess off the paved areas, I have been rewarded with two eggs each day. However, like you I have been shocked to pick up an egg and find it has no hard shell - just a thin membrane. I have also found these 'skins' in the nesting box from time to time. As the shells were very weak when I first got the hens I gave them shellgrit from the start and the properly laid eggs have good quality shells .................so it is a puzzle. Both my chooks have missing neck feathers so they are pecking each other. Don has mentioned that the Isa Browns, while being good layers, they can be canibilistic. I am sorry I did not heed his advice.