Another Egg Bound Hen.

[DylansMom]

Thank you so much, hoping you hen will do better soon

How are you today Q8?

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

How are you today Q8?

I'm fine thanks for asking, just got back from the vet, finally saved an old sick hen, got some chicks hatched yesterday so things are better now

Hoping your hen will lay the egg herself, is she eating and drinking now? I thought it will just happen for the first egg of the season.

 

[DylansMom]

I'm fine thanks for asking, just got back from the vet, finally saved an old sick hen, got some chicks hatched yesterday so things are better now

Hoping your hen will lay the egg herself, is she eating and drinking now? I thought it will just happenfor the first egg of the season.

Glad to hear you hatched some chicks. My first eggs have a week to go yet, only 2 as I pulled some clears from that batch.

This hen's first egg was laid successfully, but the shell was paper thin, then she laid 2 that were fine and the first of those is in the bator developing. The 4th egg was the one that got stuck, and this one will be the 5th, so I guess it isn't just the first. She is picking at food, I will take some potato bread down later, I have some supplement calcium liquid and I usually put a few drops on the bread and give it to her, guess it can't hurt.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

Glad to hear you hatched some chicks. My first eggs have a week to go yet, only 2 as I pulled some clears from that batch.

This hen's first egg was laid successfully, but the shell was paper thin, then she laid 2 that were fine and the first of those is in the bator developing. The 4th egg was the one that got stuck, and this one will be the 5th, so I guess it isn't just the first. She is picking at food, I will take some potato bread down later, I have some supplement calcium liquid and I usually put a few drops on the bread and give it to her, guess it can't hurt.

Its great she is eating, she supposed to lay her 5th egg tonight right? The hen i visited the vet today for also has problem in laying eggs, this her egg yesterday:


The vet thought its because she isn't eating well and needs some vitamins, i'm thinking it wasn't eating enough because she was new to this pen and old hens were pecking on her.

Is there any peahen pecking your hen?

 

[DylansMom]

Its great she is eating, she supposed to lay her 5th egg tonight right? The hen i visited the vet today for also has problem in laying eggs, this her egg yesterday:


The vet thought its because she isn't eating well and needs some vitamins, i'm thinking it wasn't eating enough because she was new to this pen and old hens were pecking on her.

Is there any peahen pecking your hen?

That egg looks pretty good and normal.

Unfortunately she was supposed to lay the 5th egg last night. She is penned with one other hen and that is my 20 year old Cameo BS. The Older hen is dominate, but she doesn't really pick on this one. I am going to add vitamins to the drinking water and keep them in it, see if that makes a difference. By the way, it looks like the old Cameo BS is laying clears again, I pulled the first egg yesterday, after 10 days with no development. So I guess her last year of fertility was 18, as long as she lays I will check them, but I'm thinking she is probably done producing her own chicks. I'll give her some eggs from the other hens as she loves to brood and hatch babies.

 

[casportpony]

Morning egg report. Last night we had 6 hens pacing and looking like they needed to lay. This morning 2 have stopped without laying and look normal, these are the 2 that were not due to lay. Two others successfully laid their eggs, and of the remaining 2, one looks better but no egg, however she is one of my third day layers, so I'll worry if there is no egg from her tomorrow. The last is Bertolli who started this thread, she has not laid she is still pacing very drooped and looking just miserable, however she is not down or prolapsed. I am alone until this afternoon so I will give her until then and if there is no egg we will do the vent check and lube, and then if we find an egg we will repeat the calcium and fluids we administered last time.

Wish we were neighbors so I could come help you.

-Kathy

 

[KsKingBee]

Still pacing and no eggs at last check, but they have all been waiting until dark this year. I have not found a single egg the evening it is laid and the flashlight freaks them out too much, so I just collect the next morning.

When I go out after dark to gather my eggs I use a ball cap with built-in LED light. The first couple of time the hand held flash light freaked them out, but now using the ball cap with the green light they don't even flinch. I talk to them and let them know I am coming before I get to the pen, and now I can even look at them with the light on and they just watch me as I collect the eggs. I really like the LED ball cap as it lets me do things hands-free in the dark like writing on the eggs.

 

[KsKingBee]

My heart really goes out to those of you who are having so much trouble with the egg laying and losing hens.

It makes me wonder when those of us who only have a few hens, (less than 50), have so many problems, how bad is it for people like @connerhills , @AugeredIn, and the big breeders? Do they just not worry, toss the dead birds and carry on? Or do they also wring their hands and stay up all night trying to save the hens?

As a beekeeper I know that small beeks that lose one of their four hives it is devastating, but when you have a couple of hundred and you lose four it is no big deal.

 

[casportpony]

It's really starting to get to me...

-Kathy

 

[thndrdancr]

Do you think it makes a bit of a difference that they free range? I have a couple that look miserable but no probs as of yet.

I will have to lock them up soon as I don't want to lose anyone but I need to clean the coop first.

I found a nest the day before, and am kicking myself as I went to gather the eggs and my bs hen was sitting on it, about 6 ft from the fence so I was a little dubious but thought surely even six foot might be ok?

Went out to check next morn and eggs were gone! . I knew I should have gathered them, about 7 eggs too!

At least the hens were ok. I guess something was pretty bold. Or it was a possum.

For some reason the dog thinks possums are ok, probably because they used to get on our porch and eat with the cats, so he thinks they are "mine". . My other bs usually nests right up against the fence so she knows the dog protects to best of his ability. Wish they had enough sense to nest in the fence perimeter, goofy things.
My friend had an old kitchen sink in the rafters of her coop for the peas to nest and they loved it. I have looked for one for 2 years but never can catch someone remodeling.

It's a pain as you have to have a step ladder to check but much better than losing the nest in the woods.