One of my hens is laying chalky eggs. I'd like to know how a hen inherits "chalkiness". Is it even genetic? Also, I would like to know what the chaly stuff is. I think it is sort of like toothpaste because they both disappear in water.

Birdface: In context with your previous message on eating eggs, this chalkiness is often associated with certain points in the laying cycle and with a lack of calcium in the diet. Your hens should be laying smooth-shelled eggs. When the diet is deficient in calcium, the hen's system takes calcium from her own bones to make the shells. This is why they moult: to rebuild their nutrient levels for more laying.

So, my birds need more calcium? How would I give them calcium?