- Jul 7, 2009
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She just started laying this spring (around March, I think) her shells were extremely thin in the beginning, and eventually we weren't seeing any from her. Or at least we thought. We started noticing egg yolk on her beak and in the nest box, so we thought she was breaking them open (not hard to do) and eating them. Then one day I found one of the other chickens running around with the rubbery membrane in her mouth and this girl was chasing her. I assumed that it was her who'd laid it since she had a history of the paper thin shells anyway. Since then she has only laid rubber eggs, and not many at that. This has gone on for the last month. She laid another rubber egg this morning (well actually all I saw was the membrane).
We have oyster shell free choice, they are on layer feed, and we feed eggshells (which they love). The other girls eggs are hard as bricks, so it is very odd/noticeable that she is like this. We've had her in the house lately to make sure that she's she's eating some calcium rich treats, I also understand that Vit D helps w/absorption, but not sure the best source of it. We've been giving her liquid calcium as well. She is eating and drinking fine right now, comb still bright red, full of energy (giving us quite the fuss over having to be inside) and she is having normal poops. However, we are starting to notice some of the telltale swelling and warming of the abdomen lately, that comes with internal laying.
I'm wondering if it is inevitable now that she will be an internal layer? Seeing as she hasn't laid a shelled egg in a month? Is she actually sicker than she seems? Is there anything we can do for her at this point?
We have oyster shell free choice, they are on layer feed, and we feed eggshells (which they love). The other girls eggs are hard as bricks, so it is very odd/noticeable that she is like this. We've had her in the house lately to make sure that she's she's eating some calcium rich treats, I also understand that Vit D helps w/absorption, but not sure the best source of it. We've been giving her liquid calcium as well. She is eating and drinking fine right now, comb still bright red, full of energy (giving us quite the fuss over having to be inside) and she is having normal poops. However, we are starting to notice some of the telltale swelling and warming of the abdomen lately, that comes with internal laying.
I'm wondering if it is inevitable now that she will be an internal layer? Seeing as she hasn't laid a shelled egg in a month? Is she actually sicker than she seems? Is there anything we can do for her at this point?