An hour or two in the nest box but no egg!

[BluffCountryShepherdess]

I've got a beautiful Calico Cochin pullet that just started laying a couple of weeks ago.

She's been pretty consistent until this week. Yesterday and today she went into the nest box and sat there for an hour or two but never laid an egg! When she comes out, she's fine. Eats well, taking 'dust baths' in the deep shavings. No sign of distress but no egg and lots of time in the nest box. Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

 

[chickerdoodle]

Keep a close eye on her to be sure she's not egg bound. Any change such as straining, loss of appetite, droopy wings or feathers, etc. It may be nothing, especially since she's newly laying but better safe than sorry. Oh, BTW she is darling!

 

[BluffCountryShepherdess]

Thanks Chickerdoodle! BTW: your two kittens in your avatar are ADORABLE!! What an awesome picture.

 

[BluffCountryShepherdess]

I'm not sure if it was the same pullet or the other one that shares the pen but one of the two girls in that pen laid an egg with a soft shell, right in the middle of the pen today! Opal has been laying her eggs in the nest box so I'm thinking it's probably the other pullet's first egg...

This has been a weird week! The other day, one of my "backyard chickens" laid an egg WITHOUT a shell and it was sitting on grill part of a sheep 'fitting stand' that I use for a roost in their coop. It's the first time I've ever seen an egg with no shell. It looked just like an egg that you crack and put into a frying pan to cook 'over easy'!

Here's a picture of the egg with no shell:

I still can't believe it didn't slip through the bars!

 

[chickerdoodle]

Shell-less eggs are not terribly unusual for new layers but if it persists you'll need to up the calcium by always having something like oyster shells available for them and perhaps offer some dairy products (not sugary) such as plain yogurt wouldn't hurt. If it continues even with calcium then something could be wrong such as not enough Vitamin D or disease. Probably just a newbie at laying though

How is the Calico Cochin doing?