Laying from the roost at night

[ShotgunDog]

I have 10 RIRs, all are nearly a year old. One of them (and I don't know which one) is, well, maybe not quite as smart as the others. Or maybe she just has a reproductive issue. Every few weeks she lays her egg from the roost, either at night or very early in the morning before coming off the roost (I find the egg in the poop line below the highest roost--the poop and straw usually cushion the egg so it doesn't break). Her eggs, whether laid from the roost or in the nesting boxes, have a 'sandpaper' like texture, and sometimes seem to be a bit multi-shaded in color (swirls of dark/light brown). The shells seem more 'dry' and 'brittle' than those of her flockmates (which is even more surprising that they usually don't break when laid from the roost). I do occasionally find her eggs in other places other than the nesting boxes (one time she laid it on the perch in front of the laying boxes). The contents of her eggs are normal--no issues there. They are on Kalmbach layer feed, and I do offer oyster shell on the side (but they really don't eat it since they all are on layer feed now). Has anybody experienced anything like this, and if so, was it an issue that eventually worked itself out?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I had a cinnamon queen who would lay eggs from the roost. As she reached two years it stopped. And i noticed she only did it in the winter.
I have never had sandpaper eggs so i hope others can help there.

 

[ShotgunDog]

I had a cinnamon queen who would lay eggs from the roost. As she reached two years it stopped. And i noticed she only did it in the winter.
I have never had sandpaper eggs so i hope others can help there.

That is very helpful--thank you! I hadn't thought about it, but the whole 'laying from the roost' thing actually did start in December, I think. I don't remember finding any eggs like that in the summer. I've been googling the sandpaper egg thing, as well as searching the forums here (which, of course, Google always takes me here anyway). But I don't see anything that really describes the shell texture that I have from this girl. I'm thinking that she is just going to be laying sandpaper shell eggs, and that's it. I wasn't sure if it was related to her laying from the roost, but from your response, I'm guessing that it might not be. And, good to know your girl did eventually 'get it right'! Maybe my little girl with figure it out eventually too. Fingers crossed! Thanks again!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

That is very helpful--thank you! I hadn't thought about it, but the whole 'laying from the roost' thing actually did start in December, I think. I don't remember finding any eggs like that in the summer. I've been googling the sandpaper egg thing, as well as searching the forums here (which, of course, Google always takes me here anyway). But I don't see anything that really describes the shell texture that I have from this girl. I'm thinking that she is just going to be laying sandpaper shell eggs, and that's it. I wasn't sure if it was related to her laying from the roost, but from your response, I'm guessing that it might not be. And, good to know your girl did eventually 'get it right'! Maybe my little girl with figure it out eventually too. Fingers crossed! Thanks again!

Hopefully she will. Mine was the only one that has ever done this. I wonder if it was something to do eith her high production

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Do any of the them use the nesting boxes? Or just one of them doesn't?

 

[aart]

But I don't see anything that really describes the shell texture that I have from this girl.

Posting some pics of this might help ID the cause,
but likely it's just a anomaly of that individual bird.

 

[ShotgunDog]

Do any of the them use the nesting boxes? Or just one of them doesn't?

All of them use the nesting boxes--even her! Except sometimes she loses her mind and drops it in some random, weird place (like from the roost at night).

 

[ShotgunDog]

Posting some pics of this might help ID the cause,
but likely it's just a anomaly of that individual bird.

I don't know if you can see the texture or not in this pic.

 

[aart]

I don't know if you can see the texture or not in this pic.View attachment 3744145

No, I can't.
But some birds do have rougher texture to their eggs.
I don't think the texture has anything to do with her not using the nests reliably.

 

[ShotgunDog]

No, I can't.
But some birds do have rougher texture to their eggs.
I don't think the texture has anything to do with her not using the nests reliably.

I think you're right in that the two are completely unrelated. It is strange that she is the only one with this rough texture, but also the only one who sometimes seems a bit lazy about laying. But, I guess it is jut a coincidence. Thanks for the responses!