What causes thin eggshells?

There are numerous factors that can lead to thin eggshells. The most common and easiest to fix is insufficient calcium in your chicken’s diet. Make sure to always have complete laying feed available. Horizon Acres Egg Crumbles or Pellets and Horizon Acres All Flock Crumbles or Pellets are specifically formulated to provide laying hens the nutrition they need to be healthy productive members of your flock. Horizon Acres Oyster Shell or Horizon Acres Poultry Grit can be offered for extra supplemental calcium; however, they are not necessary when your birds are consuming Horizon Acres Layer Feed. Other causes of thin eggshells include stress and age. It takes over 15 hours for a chicken to produce a single egg and if she is experiencing stressors such as extreme heat can lead to thinner eggshells. Finally older hens lay larger eggs and tend to experience more reproductive deficiencies from wear and tear of her repro tract over the years. This can lead to lowered egg production and thinner eggshells. Molting older hens may help with this but some producers choose to cull older birds

How often should I gather eggs from my chicken coop?

Eggs should be gathered from your chicken coop daily at minimum for a few reasons. The first being to ensure the safety and quality of your eggs. High temperatures, such as a hot summer day, can accelerate the aging process of eggs and decrease their quality and shelf life. Eggs that become frozen on a very cold winter day can expand inside of the shell and crack. These small cracks can potentially become a gateway for harmful bacteria. Additionally, chickens can begin to damage eggs as their nesting boxes fill up. Once a chicken accidently cracks an egg, they may begin to crack them on purpose to eat the egg. For these reasons we recommend collecting eggs daily and possibly twice per day on very hot or very cold days.

How do I check egg freshness?

One way is through the float test.

  • Fully submerge egg in cool water
  • See if the egg
    1. Stays on the bottom of the container laying on its side
    2. Sinks to touch the bottom of the container but stands on its end
    3. Floats to the top of the water
  • Eggs that stay on the bottom on their side are Fresh.
  • Eggs that stand on end are OK but need to be used soon.
  • Eggs that float are spoiled and should not be consumed.
Horizon Acres: Omega Gold: Better Nutrition, Brighter Yolks, Better Eggs
Horizon Acres: All About Eggs
Horizon Acres: All About Eggs

How do I get golden yolks?

As a chicken owner, you know the sense of pride that comes along with having a colorful assortment of eggs, and when you crack one into a frying pan, you have that vibrant golden yolk. At Horizon Acres, we formulate our layer feeds to exceed all laying hen nutrient requirements to fully support animal health and performance. Additionally, we add our preparatory blend of carotenoids, essential oils & postbiotics to support gut health and immune function and help create vibrant golden yolks. Carotenoids are natural pigments occurring in some plants and vegetables that act as antioxidants and give red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables their color. We source ingredients that have naturally occurring carotenoids to enhance the yolk color and get you that vibrant yolk color desired. Let’s face it, the most nutritional part of an egg is the yolk, so we want it to look that way as well

How many eggs should my chickens be laying?

The number of eggs your hen will lay each year is based on numerous factors such as nutrition, breed, age, daylight and weather conditions. When choosing breeds of chickens for your flock, be sure to research the “laying percentage”. For example, Australorp hens have a laying percentage of 68%-83%, meaning they will lay 250-300 eggs per year. This means you can expect 5-6 eggs a week from an Australorp hen.

Next, be sure that all their nutritional needs are met. By feeding Horizon Acres Layer feeds, you can rest assured your hens are getting all the nutrition they need for hen health and egg production. Be sure to read our article, Wintering Laying Hens, for feeding tips over winter. This article also talks about light needed over winter for egg production. Proper nutrition is essential for egg production. Weather conditions also impact egg production. Environmental stressors such as heat, bitter cold, or weather transitions can negatively impact egg production. Thankfully, hens are very adaptable, and with ample food and water, they adapt well to changing weather patterns. A big change in temperature may impact them for a few days until they adjust. Be sure your birds always have plenty of water and airflow, especially on hot summer days.

Written by: Katlyn O’Neill, Animal Nutritionist