Soft Eggs?
Poor little Pattie Cake. She keeps laying soft eggs. I know it’s Pattie because they all have very distinctive eggs. We did have a spate a few weeks ago, but her soft eggs have been coming out almost daily now for over a good week and a half. I fear it is partly my fault.
You see, in my last post I admitted I am an avid feeder of animals. I think I have been spoiling the girls and giving them way too many treats -bananas, strawberries, pasta, cheese, plums…things that I thought were actually ok for them (apart from the pasta). But doing my research today I’ve learnt that too many treats can mean that they fill up on things that aren’t necessarily rich in the vitamins and minerals they need to make the eggs - although Rich swears that cheese is good for them. But probably not the amount that gets chucked down by me.
No I’m feeling quite foolish really. Pattie is bottom of the pecking order and so I’m wondering if that has anything to do with it. Although, to be fair, Yoko only lords it over her where the mixed corn and worms are concerned. They have constant access to layers mash, and free range all day on grass, grubs, worms and other poor unfortunate creatures. But I think perhaps I need to start supplementing their water with some Poultry Spice again, adding more oyster shell to their food, or possibly even worm them too? We’ve just had to treat them for red mite, but that seems to be more under control now.
There just seem to be so many explanations for soft eggs - some horrific, and some as simple as “just a phase and nothing to worry about”. Well, I am a worrying worrier! I’m going to switch to giving them a treat - just one - every other day, and apart from the above, also try and feed them some more greens. They seem to absolutely adore baby lettuce leaves, so maybe a few more of them and less of the pasta and sweet stuff would be best. That’s another thing I learnt - sweet and acidic foods can contribute towards soft shells (plums…strawberries…oh gee wizz I’ve been a crap mum!) Here’s hoping there’ll be a change in the nest box over the next few days!
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Hi there!
Our Sylvie had the same problem for a week or so about a month back. Of course I worried! She had a few lice - so I treated her with spray and powder. She had access to grit and oyster shell and layers pellets - but I suspect that she was foraging round the garden rather than eating lots of these - so we kept the girls confined to the run until they’d breakfasted on pellets. I thought Sylvie might need a boost of calcium/protein/vitamins so I mixed up a hard boiled egg - shell and all! - with live yogurt and some poultry spice. This was given instead of treats for a couple of days. I also put some Apple Cider Vinegar (plus garlic) - the sort you buy in the animal feed stores for horses - in the drinking water - about a third of a cup to a 2 litre drinker.
The soft shelled eggs stopped, she didn’t lay for a couple of days, then normal production resumed. Which treatment did the trick? who knows. Maybe she would have got better anyway!
Good luck with your girls! (Hard not to worry though, isn’t it?)
Celia
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Hi Celia! Thanks for your comment, if I find another soft shell tomorrow I think I might try some of the things that you’ve suggested. Ours go straight out in the morning and start foraging so perhaps I should entice them to eat more layers mash before they go…thing is it’s hard to hang around at quarter to six in the morning! But they’re worth the effort
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:29 am
I am sorry to hear about Pattie. The advice given by Magic Cochin sounds excellent. It is always hard when an animal in your care is not doing what it should be - I worry all the time about my leghorn and guinea fowl.
Hope she starts laying well again soon.
Sara from farmingfriends