# Thin Shells



## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

One of my hens started laying eggs with paper-thin shells. Usually, it cracks and soaks into the nesting box and it's such a pain to clean up. I had another chicken die recently from what I think was egg binding. They always have oystershell mixed in with their food. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? I'm not sure which one is laying these eggs.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'm sorry, I don't know much of the background of your flock. Can you provide more information, how old are your hens, how many do you have? What else is in their diet beside their laying mix? Are they free range, how much room do they have? Have any of the other birds experienced health issues lately?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And source of the birds. Did they come from a hatchery or private breeder? 

If you don't have too many you can add a drop of food coloring in the vent of each the birds. The food coloring gets deposited on the egg. That will help you identify which one it is. Just make sure you note who got what color. 

And is anyone going into a molt?


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

I have four hens. They all free range in my front yard. I'm not exactly sure how big my front yard is. Maybe around 80/60 feet? They have a little coop and run. The coop is about a 5/5 foot square, and their run is a 10/10 foot square. They have crushed oystershell mixed in with their laying mix, I give them a small handful of scratch or mealworms every two weeks or so. I'm not sure where they came from. My mom bought them on March 30, 2019. They were maybe a day old then, I'm not sure. I just came home and there was a box of baby chickens in the living room.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL Magic appearing chicks. 

There might be a molt fixing to happen. Look for a few more feathers laying around. 

Watch for anyone that seems a bit off. They hide illness very effectively.


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

Actually, there is one chicken who I think might have mites. I didn't think it was as serious as laying paper-shelled eggs, so I was going to focus on fixing this first. She's growing her feathers back though. Her whole head was bald before. Sorry if the pictures don't show much. She's very energetic and is always running around.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

For whatever reason it looks like the pics didn't come through.

If one has them they all need to treated and their coop sprayed. Mites are just one of those things we have so little control over. Sand was about the only thing I found that seemed to keep them well under control.


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

Is there any brand of spray you would recommend? Also, I think I fixed the photo problem.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You can pick up a permethrin premise spray and the feed store. It's mixed in water. You can spray the birds with a squirt bottle and use a one gallon sprayer to soak the coop. Oh and the bedding needs to be removed.

I pretty much use Ivermectin on my birds exclusively. Feather legged birds can be bad about scaly leg mites. Ivermectin is systemic and will kill the mites. 

Her feather color looks patchy. Are you sure she hasn't molted?


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

I'm sure she's not molting. They're not just falling off, they're broken in the middle. This has been going on for a while though, and none of the other hens have gotten mites.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You still need to treat all. Seeing them on one bird means they are present and if their original target is off the menu then they'll move to the others.

Any clue why her feathers are broken? Most of the time broken feathers is due to some sort of physical contact with something or someone. 

Have you picked her up for an over all condition check?


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

I have checked all over her body. I haven't actually seen any mites, but other than the feathers, she seems perfectly healthy.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

After dark take a small flashlight and aim it at the top of the head/neck area and in the vent area. If you see movement then they have mites.


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## LunaTheBarredRock (Sep 6, 2020)

I just checked them all with a flashlight. I didn't see any movement anywhere.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's great news. Everyone hates mites but they are a part of poultry keeping unfortunately.


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