The shell: reading the egg to make corrections

During the morning collection, an egg gives way between your fingers. Its shell is as thin as a sheet of paper.

This egg is no accident. I am going to show you what it tells us about the night.

It takes twenty-four to twenty-eight hours to make an egg. The shell alone takes eighteen to twenty.

These hours fall mostly at night. The hen sleeps and no longer eats. She builds with what she ate before dark.

They eat mostly at the end of the day. According to the breeder, more than half of the ration is eaten in the six hours before lights-out.

The afternoon meal makes tomorrow's shell. An empty feeder at this time means a night without reserves.

Each shell takes two to two and a half grams of calcium. About four are needed per day, a little more as the hen gets older.

You already know about large-grain limestone. Its two-to-four-millimetre pieces keep the calcium available throughout the night.

Now, here's the case that misleads many poultry farmers. High heat arrives, and the shells become thin.

The first instinct is to add more limestone. And the shells remain thin. Why?

To cool down, the hen breathes quickly, with her beak open. And with every breath, she releases too much carbon dioxide.

Her blood then loses its balance. Veterinarians call this respiratory alkalosis.

The gland that makes the shell receives less calcium. The shell comes out thin, even with a full feeder.

The breed guide states it clearly. Adding calcium does not correct this problem.

The calcium is there. It is the heat that blocks its way. So we tackle the heat, not the bag of limestone.

First, the air. Provide shade along the sides of the poultry house, and use fans that blow at hen height.

Next, the water. Keep it below twenty-five degrees. Above thirty, the hen drinks less and eats less.

A tank in the shade, painted a light colour. In the afternoon, flush the lines to get rid of the hot water.

Finally, the meals. Serve feed early in the morning, then in the cool of the evening, and do not disturb the hens during the hot hours.

Every morning, your tray is a report on the night. Here is how I read it.

Thin during a heatwave? The air, the water, the meals. Thin when it's cool? The afternoon calcium. Pale, soft, liquid white? The veterinarian, quickly.

And at your place, do thin shells appear during the hottest months of the year?

Send the flock's age and a photo of the tray on WhatsApp to 05 44 83 27 79, for information. The laying record book is free.

You can order your layer chicks at 07 07 72 78 67. Subscribe; next, we'll talk about nests and collection.

They hatch in our hatchery in Agnibilékrou. With Nextekci, every client is a satisfied poultry farmer.