1. Why aren't my chickens laying? 2. My hen chickens are laying thin-shelled eggs. What do I do? 3. My young hen lays soft and misshapen eggs. Is this a problem? 4. My chickens are eating their own eggs. What should I do? 5. What is coccidiosis? 6. Is it all right to clip a chicken's toe nail ? 7. Is there a salve to put on the hens backs to heal and prevent the rooster's plucking? Can I snip the tip of His beak to make it more sensitive? 8. One of my hens has a protrusion ouside her vent. What can cause this and do I need to take her to the vet? 1. Why aren't my chickens laying? top 1) they might be too young 2) they might be too old 3) if they look sick, an illness may have caused them to stop laying 4) chickens frequently stop laying while they are molting and 5) they might just need a break! submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 2. My hen chickens are laying thin-shelled eggs. What do I do? top Try giving them oyster shells - the calcium helps keep the shells thick and strong. submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 3. My young hen lays soft and misshapen eggs. Is this a problem? top When they start laying eggs their young systems will produce eggs that are softshell, irregular shaped, real large, real small, etc. It takes a while for their reproductive system to get the complete "hang of it". submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 4. My chickens are eating their own eggs. What should I do? top Usually, egg-eating is due to a need for more calcium. Supplement with crushed oyster shells (available at feed stores). In a pinch, crush up regular chickens eggs and supplement with that (although that may encourage them to peck at eggs). For occasional stubborn hen who has just decided she likes the taste of eggs, you may have to try a nest box that allows the eggs to roll out of reach. submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 5. What is coccidiosis? top A protozoa in the droppings, easily spread from chick to chick. Cocci can be prevented with medicated feed. Older chickens can be treated with Corrid or Albon. Usually readily available at most feed stores. Cleaning the feeder and waterer at least daily is an important step in the prevention and treatment. submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 6. Is it all right to clip a chicken's toe nail ? top It is alright to clip a chicken's toenails.. You need to be careful not to go too far up into the nail, or it may cause pain and bleeding. A dog toenail clipper is a useful tool for this. submitted by Cheryl , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 7. Is there a salve to put on the hens backs to heal and prevent the rooster's plucking? Can I snip the tip of His beak to make it more sensitive? top You can put neosporin on the hen's back if there's any broken skin.. You can also use blu-cote on it to reduce the chances of picking. It turns the skin dark and is therefore less attractive to any "pickers". Trimming the beak is an option if he's picking with it. It will not make it more sensitive. It will make it shorter so he cannot get a good grip on feathers. However the rooster damage may come from the toenails, rather than the beak. Feather loss on hens is very common. submitted by Lucas Bennett , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009 8. One of my hens has a protrusion ouside her vent. What can cause this and do I need to take her to the vet? top What you're describing is a prolapsed vent. This can happen when a hen strains too hard to lay an egg, or the egg is so big it causes some damage to the vent as it is laid. It's fairly common. What to do for it is to lubricate the vent gently with preparation h cream, or any of the hemorrhoidal creams and using a finger, gently push the vent back inside. The cream will then need to be applied twice a day till the vent is healed. It may help to keep the hen in a dark place to discourage laying while the healing takes place. The hen will need to be watched in the future, in case of re-occurance. Rapid treatment is necessary not just to aid healing, but to prevent the other birds from picking the exposed tissue. submitted by admin , answered by admin , last updated Nov 20, 2009

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