thebulg
Chirping
Our rhode island red took a good long month and a half, finally snapped into full broody, and abandoned at 6 days. The eggs were all hers, all infertile, so i am glad she did. It was about 2 weeks ago that she got off the eggs. 6 days ago she laid what i assumed was a shell-less egg. There was a little bit of membrane in the nest, the whole yolk and the albumen. I chalked it up to her system rebooting. She skipped the next day, day 3 she laid another egg exactly the same way. Skipped 2 days. This morning there wasn't even a shell membrane.
Couple of things: she has been eating well and has layer feed, calcium available, a compost pile, and they free range. I've seen her eat from all 4 piles. I am questioning if i should somehow provide her chick feed for protein, but that is nutritionally the only thing i think we could do differently.
She has what looks to me like summer droppings. The wet ones. They're coming out freely and while she's moving around, but her bum is clean.
Her vent might be a little wider than usual, and her abdomen miiiiiiiiight feel a little little little bit firm, maybe. But no redness, swelling, abnormal disharge or mess.
She looks beautiful right now. Feathers, combs, wattles, eyes, all look great.
However today she spent the morning running everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Front yard, back yard, neighbor's yard, into my lap (we don't have that kind of relationship with our chickens) and then she ran INTO OUR HOUSE and was going to bedrooms. All the while making the "i need to lay an egg" groan. She seemed like she was desperately searching for something and thought i could help her find it. She tried to eat bugs caught in a spider web under our overhang. She flew into brick twice in a row.
I have her isolated with layer feed, oyster shell, water with apple cider vinegar, and yogurt. I was thinking about keeping her in long enough to see what her eggs look like.
My thoughts are
1. Best case scenario, she is trying to lay a second egg today that finally has a shell and she is just freaking out about it.
2. She is egg bound somehow
3. She is actually laying eggs without shells or membranes and the yolks or albumen stuck inside her and she has an infection.
Couple of things: she has been eating well and has layer feed, calcium available, a compost pile, and they free range. I've seen her eat from all 4 piles. I am questioning if i should somehow provide her chick feed for protein, but that is nutritionally the only thing i think we could do differently.
She has what looks to me like summer droppings. The wet ones. They're coming out freely and while she's moving around, but her bum is clean.
Her vent might be a little wider than usual, and her abdomen miiiiiiiiight feel a little little little bit firm, maybe. But no redness, swelling, abnormal disharge or mess.
She looks beautiful right now. Feathers, combs, wattles, eyes, all look great.
However today she spent the morning running everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Front yard, back yard, neighbor's yard, into my lap (we don't have that kind of relationship with our chickens) and then she ran INTO OUR HOUSE and was going to bedrooms. All the while making the "i need to lay an egg" groan. She seemed like she was desperately searching for something and thought i could help her find it. She tried to eat bugs caught in a spider web under our overhang. She flew into brick twice in a row.
I have her isolated with layer feed, oyster shell, water with apple cider vinegar, and yogurt. I was thinking about keeping her in long enough to see what her eggs look like.
My thoughts are
1. Best case scenario, she is trying to lay a second egg today that finally has a shell and she is just freaking out about it.
2. She is egg bound somehow
3. She is actually laying eggs without shells or membranes and the yolks or albumen stuck inside her and she has an infection.
