Today , I ’m sit on nine 12 eggs . I wash them after collect them to store in the refrigerator . This way , they ’re quick to go if I get the chance to trade or gift them . unluckily , we ’re having a trouble . One hen ’s chocolate-brown eggs are so fragile that when I wash them , they crumble to piece in my hands . But , with six brown - bollock layers in the flock , it ’s hard to tell whose eggs came from whom without isolate them , because I ’ve never taken the metre to each orchis type to its hen . All I know is whose eggs they ’re not .
Thin - shelled bollock are a vernacular problem in deal , yet well remedied . Here are 7 thing that could be haywire :
1. Calcium Deficiency
Although each good deal member is offered the same diet , I ca n’t guarantee they ’re all eating similarly . Some hens might eat more food grain feed , and others might forage more . Generally , though , chickens are very in effect at eating what their bodies need . A calcium add-on is added to many commercial-grade crybaby feeds , but more can be offered free - option in the physique of oyster shell or even dried and crush eggshells . In my mountain , with several sources of calcium uncommitted , and only one hen laying weak eggs , this probably is n’t our problem , unless there ’s a wellness job keeping her from absorbing calcium .
2. Prolific Egg Laying
In general , a biddy will lay an egg every 25 hours or so . Breeds renowned for their dependable laying will take a break to molt every year or to rest over the winter , but these same breeds can lay up to 300 eggs a twelvemonth — sometimes more — which is involve a lot of their little bodies . They ’re ovary are working overtime , and prolific layers are at risk of ovarian genus Cancer as they age . Depending on how quickly or slowly the nut travel as they ’re forming in the Fallopian tube , the eggshells might not form correctly . In this display case , I ca n’t do anything to help .
3. Stressed Bird
unremarkably the pecking order function like a team , but we have a couple hens go knave from time to time . My Polish biddy function as our flock ’s dim - witted cock . She ’s bottom round in the age good deal , so she asserts her misguided power by playing bully to the pullets . When the pullets use up , walk by her , clucking in her instruction or breathe , Sookie does n’t play fairish . This could stress out the new biddy , causing problems with egg formation .
4. Low-Nutrition Treats
I toss kitchen combat to my chickens a few times a week , but I seek to limit the amount — they do n’t getallof the food fighting . For example , if someone does n’t wipe out all of his or her cereal , it will ordinarily go to permissive waste rather of feed it to the flock . Feeding chickens excess carbs ( admit Gallus gallus scratch ) can cause chickens to arrive at too much body fat , and overweight hens will stomach wellness consequences . Large birds , like the Wyandotte , are specially at risk of becoming heavy . I have two Wyandottes — one biddy and one pullet . For now , no more kitchen scraps .
5. Parasite Infestations
Whether from physical strain or nutrition depletion , infestations of mites , pegleg mites , and lice can cause serious health problems , including eventual death . In the last 6 calendar month or so , we ’ve battled both hint and wooden leg soupcon in our flock , but they have n’t been an ongoing problem . It ’s a full meter to do another thorough Gallus gallus assay and to deal immediately if needed .
6. Broodiness
My Australorp , Helen , just came out of a full point of broodiness . Each time she goes pondering , it lasts about three week . She ’s so consecrate that I ca n’t bankrupt her of her broodiness at all any longer . When hen go pensive , they do n’t care for themselves very well . They forgo eating and drinking and often drop off weight , with the desire to do nothing else but warm and protect eggs . In Helen ’s case , she ’ll sit in the nest with her feathers puff without an egg underneath her .
7. Age
With four hens near their 5th birthday , one could simply be turn down in health . Sometimes a wimp can subsist to be 10 years old or even older , but not all will . No matter how perfectly I tip them and otherwise deal for them , some of my chickens will succumb to wellness problems I can do nothing about .
With more investigating , I ’ll witness out who ’s laying the weak eggs , but my intuition is that it ’s an aging hen . However , my hunches have been untimely before ! If all else fail , I ’ll isolate the fille one by one . reader can expect a full report once I crack the closed book of the weak eggs .
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