Soft Shell Eggs:

The failure of a hen to surround the egg with a hard shell has been ascribed to two causes. Either the bird did not receive a sufficient amount of lime or calcium or she is suffering from tumours or malformation of the glands which secrete the material for the egg shell. The egg may be surrounded by a skin only and may be laid in this condition. Such an egg is often dropped on the cage floor instead of to the nest, because the hen has no control over holding an egg without a shell. Soft shell eggs frequently cause egg binding, the muscles not being able to grasp the egg in order to expel it. Some eggs are surrounded by a very thin shell which soon breaks during incubation. Prevention consists in feeding birds plenty of calcium or cuttlebone and an abundant amount of greens all year round. Constitutional or anatomical defects causing soft shell eggs are incurable.

Thankyou Kaz

Good Luck with it Trish, and good on you for asking so many questions. If you don't ask, you don't learn...

I went to see the breeder tonight and got enough Vitacal to do me until I can get some online. He also sold me some of the Iodine Calcium bells that he bought in bulk. I had priced these at 1.75 each and 1.95 each from the pet shops in Mt Gambier but got them from him at 1.00 each.

Hopefully these, which are now in all my cages, not just breeders, and the calcium supplement will help my problem as well as build up the systems of the ones that I am conditioning for breeding after summer. I feel better now knowing I am doing all the right things thanks to my friends here :laughter:

:yes: Great stuff. Just remember the signs to look out for 'egg binding' and be ready with a calcium drop to the beak. I hope it doesn't come to this. Please keep us updated on her and her coming eggs.

:yes: Great stuff. Just remember the signs to look out for 'egg binding' and be ready with a calcium drop to the beak. I hope it doesn't come to this. Please keep us updated on her and her coming eggs.

 

 

Will do, it's very "eggciting" :28:

"eggciting" wow Trish that was Dry! Funny but Dry. :bump: