soft shell egg help? *update- problem solved plus chick pics

[tamlynn]

I have a stupid chicken. Unfortunately, she is my dd's pet, otherwise I'd trade her in. She is a silkie and almost always lays splat eggs. That's what we call them. The shell is so soft, it splats everywhere in the nest box. Every once in a while she'll lay one hard enough to keep. She is 2 years old. She has access to oyster shell, grit, chicken feed, dirt, grass, bugs, sunshine, etc. The other 3 chickens (not silkies) have never laid an egg like that.

Is there anything I can do to improve those eggs?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I would intentionally mix the oyster shell in with her food and feed it to her. She needs more calcium, and she might not be smart enough to figure it out on her own.

 

[tamlynn]

Update! My dd agreed to trade in the silkie for a new baby chick we will slip under our broody hen.

Any tricks for that? Do it at night?

 

[justusnak]

I would say she needs calcium. Egg shells crushed, oyster shell...milk. As for adding the chick to the broody...yup, just slip it under her at night.

 

[tamlynn]

Well now I feel stupid. I rushed out and bought cute baby chicks when I probably shouldn't have. I did more research on soft shell eggs and read that some ACV in their water could help. It did- immediately! That chicken has layed 3 good eggs in a week and no soft shells. She is still not a great layer, but at least the eggs are usable. She wouldn't eat the oyster shell and also doesn't seem to eat bugs like the others. Weird silkie.

I tried putting the chick under the broody hen and it didn't work so I had to go buy 2 more baby chicks to keep the first one company- it was freaking out alone. Now I've got way too many chickens.

Good thing they're cute.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Thanks for saying what helped. That info might be handy someday. Submit that pic of your daughter with the chic for the P O W- it's great.

 

[Boogity]

What a beautiful young lady. I love freckles.

 

[Denim Deb]

What a beautiful young lady. I love freckles.

Same here. I was disappointed as a child that I didn't have any.

 

[sparks]

To many chickens? Really? No way!

 

[tamlynn]

Thanks for the compliments- my dd loves her freckles too!

Sparks, yep, too many chickens. I live in the city and have a special permit for, uh, 3.