My rescue batts are laying weird eggs - not sure why.

[mehgalegs]

We have had them for about 8 months so I think this makes them just over two years old. They are otherwise healthy, very fluffy, clean and enjoying the spinach garden very much.

All are laying and most eggs seem ok but everyday I get a couple of really rough, porous, thin shelled eggs. When they are cracked the whites are very watery and look very unappetising to be honest.

I'm wondering if it is an age thing, diet or just the end of theri laying cycle. The eggs are always very large.

What do you think?

Do you give them enough grit?

Is it true hens are bothered a lot by fireworks? Someone said this to us recently and it's put me off a bit.

I don't give them extra grit really as they are so free range I just assume they find what they need in the garden but it may be worth a try.

Mine don't seem to have been bothered by fireworks at all.

Good. Thanks for that.

There's something called shellstim you can get to put in their water which boosts up their calcium levels apparently - might be worth a try.

Ours didn't seem bothered by the fireworks either.

You could try a little oyster shell in with their feed.
If they have gone through the moult or been all stressed out with the battery farm, moving, change in daylight hours etc then this can affect their egg quality.

I have read that if they are interrupted during the laying of an egg then this can affect the shell.

info on thin shells

Thanks for that link. It only seems to be a couple of them laying the thin ones so maybe a stress thing. On e has been a bit poorly as Al the LS rooster loves her too much and had made her back bald and sore with too much rogering, might be her laying the dodgy ones.

I am going to the smallholder store later for food so will see if they have shellstim or similar.

thank you all

davinova c is also good if you can't get shellstim.

we give them egg shells- baked, and broken up small.