Why are my chicken eggshells thin, soft, or breaking easily?

In episode 38, Dr. Blayne Mozisek discusses eggshell quality and the range of factors that can affect shell thickness in backyard and commercial laying hens.

The conversation covers hen age, flock health, stress, nutrition, calcium management, supplemental calcium options, and the importance of calcium particle size during shell formation.

The episode also addresses natural variation in egg appearance and shell quality between individual hens, including variation that can occur even in birds of the same age, breed, and feeding program.

The discussion concludes with egg safety considerations for treated hens. It covers the potential for medication residues in eggs, the importance of considering anyone who may consume or receive those eggs, and concerns around using products that are not appropriate for food-producing chickens.

00:00 Eggshell Quality and Soft-Shelled Eggs
00:33 Why Older Hens Lay Thinner-Shelled Eggs
00:58 Disease and Eggshell Thickness
01:30 Stress and Thin-Shelled Eggs
01:45 Calcium’s Role in Eggshell Formation
02:34 Layer Feed vs. All-Flock Feed
03:27 Calcium Supplements: Oyster Shell and Limestone
04:19 Calcium Storage in Bone
04:52 Why Large-Particle Calcium Matters
06:34 Do Chickens Seek Out Calcium?
07:28 Why Thin Shells Are Not Always a Calcium Problem
09:02 Normal Egg and Shell Variation in a Flock
09:58 Medication Residues and Egg Safety
10:30 Ivermectin and Drug Residues in Egg Yolks
10:42 Products Not Labeled for Food-Producing Chickens
10:52 Blu-Kote and Food-Safety Concerns
11:22 Sulfa Drugs, Egg Residues, and Allergic Reactions
11:45 Avoiding Blu-Kote in Backyard Chickens
12:12 Protecting Egg Quality and Food Safety