After Sparkle’s first egg, which had a thin shell, I added some limestone flour to some mash the next morning. The following day Sparkle laid her next egg and it’s shell was normal. It was also the normal size with the slightly narrow shape that her eggs have.
We had Topaz and Sparkle’s eggs for Sunday breakfast this morning then I put the shells in the oven with it’s residual heat and dried them out. I then crushed them and added them to another dish of warm mash as it was a frosty morning. I thought this would give an extra boost of calcium to the girls.
Warm mash on a frosty morning
Mash with crushed egg shells
These days I only put out one large dish as they circle around to find a spot to get at it and the ones that get chased away return later when the others have had enough. A large dish lasts most of the day but by the end of the day it is always all gone. I don’t have to worry how much they have as it’s just their normal food but becomes a treat because of the different texture.
I think a little calcium boost at the moment will be good for the girls as I think they may all start laying soon. All of their combs are getting more red and Amber has been sitting in the nest box each morning when I poop pick the coop. She is also much more vocal at the moment. I always dread her starting to lay again as she has such problems with it but each year I live in hope that it will miraculously be better for her.
It will be interesting this year to see how well the game girls will lay and to see if they will be prone to going broody. Also to see if Topaz will continue to lay well and to see if she goes broody or not this year.
It will also be just lovely to have more eggs again. With the big girls I had to give so many eggs away as there were many more than we could use. I think with bantams though we will probably be able to use all the eggs ourselves. This is partly because being smaller eggs we eat them two at a time (when there are enough that is) and partly because they are more erratic layers. I can’t wait to have an abundance of eggs once more.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I bake my girls egg shells and give them back to them in mash . Certainly no waste and a great way of recycling .
You are right, it is a great way to recycle. I don’t think of it over winter but once egg laying commences again it seems like a really good idea. By the end of the day all the mash had gone and two egg shells have been consumed with it. I will continue to do this for a while as it’s only a small ratio of egg shell at the moment.
Coco, who is now 4 1/2 years old, is having trouble w/ soft shelled eggs. Talk to a vet if you can. Or see if you can get some calcium for birds. It has to have vitamin D so the hen is able to absorb the calcium.
My vet gave me some liquid calcium. I put a little squirt onto a treat every day for Coco and now she’s laying hard shelled eggs.
Amber has had trouble with her eggs right from the start and has been like this for three years now. I have always thought there is something slightly wrong with her. She has a slight bump on her back above the ovaries. In the past I have given her limestone flour (with cod liver oil to help it absorb) and crushed egg shells and all made no difference. I have talked to the vet and he said there was nothing else I could do for her. I could ask him about liquid calcium? I always hope this year she may be okay but I guess it is unlikely.