Question finicky with calcium

[KimChick]

Because I cannot keep up with feeding them egg shells, I decided to get oyster shells. Since the limestone pieces are the last things they consume from the laying mash, if at all, oyster shells were next to try. However, they seem to be various sized, some being as large as the limestone pieces in the laying mash.
So, because they no longer need a warm winter treat (in which I put the shells), I give the egg / oyster shells as free choice.

The question is: Does anyone have any other ideas on how to solve this calcium problem?

It seems like my hens are laying with soft shells more often than I would anticipate.
E.g., tonight, when shutting the coop doors, I found a soft shelled egg that was lain late in the day, and it was on the coop floor in front of a laying box. (Good thing I always peek through the nesting box lid from the outside.) It would have been eaten by the time they were let out in the morning.

[WLLady]

first off are they soft shelled or no shell? no shell will be like water balloons-with a membrane only and no shell at all. No shell is genetic and only outbreeding will fix that problem. all the calcium in the world won't help because they lack the right stuff inside to make the shell.

if they are soft shelled and slump when laid but harden up after then they just aren't getting enough calcium and the oyster shell should do it. The birds will usually eat the calcium they need and if they are on layer pellets or layer mash the food has calcium in it as well.

if it is a weak shell-so the egg is hard, but cracks easily then it could be lack of calcium, but likely it is genetic as well. if free choice calcium doesn't cure that then it's genetic and outcrossing to a different line is the way to go.

if you are feeding homemade diet - not a store bought layer ration - you may not be getting enough calcium into the feed, and will have to supply oyster shell back.....if you are feeding a commercial diet there should be enough calcium in the feed, but most folks will supplement with oyster shell or ground up egg shell etc. but the feed should have enough in it to prevent the shell-less eggs.
hope this helps.....

[Ontario Chick]

We feed oyster shells in separate feeders (old rabbit feeders hanging on the wall, since they are supposedly self regulating their calcium intake I have never given much thought to the size of some of the pretty large chunks, but it all seems to get consumed eventually.
No problem with soft shells here, although I do notice the difference in "winter" and "summer" shell thickness, also a great difference between the pullet and old hen shells.

[G Williams]

My Dorkings seem to have a higher requirement for calcium than my other breeds.

[windwalkingwolf]

If you have production layers, occasionally they will lay an extra egg a day, just plop it on the floor, even while roosting. Almost always shell-less or soft shelled (feels like sandpaper and crumples easily). Too much calcium can cause she'll glitches too, as the minerals get out of whack. You can try lay pellets, which have the same formulation as mash, but ground up and compressed into pellets, so they have no choice but to eat everything...or crumbles if you have small birds (looks like chick starter but the pieces are bigger), or get a bag of dolomite pea gravel from a building supply store. I love that stuff especially for winter when they aren't free ranging.

[Shnookie]

If they are eating the calcium and still have soft shells they could be lacking vitamin D.

[KimChick]

Thanks for all your input.
We use a feed supply store laying mash that has limestone pieces and feed pellets. You'd think that would be enough.
We have gotten both thin shells and soft shells. What I call the soft shells are fully formed eggs within a thick membrane that seems like an unforgiving water-filled balloon (because it's not as elastic, like a balloon), but is also light beige like a very light brown egg.

[ross]

That being the case Kim sounds like genetic issue . Luck

[KimChick]

That being the case Kim sounds like genetic issue . Luck

OK. Thanks Ross.
What I will do is sift out the larger oyster shell pieces, keep offering it as free choice and see how it goes.
I don't think Vitamin D is the issue because they are outside all day in a fenced in area, except when we let them out to: eat fresh grass, catch bugs and eat worms, and otherwise enjoy being out 'n about.