Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

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Fancychooklady said:
Often you'll get soft shell and rubber eggs while they are settling in to their routine. In my experience ( I've lost 3 ) egg bound hens don't show any symptoms until they stop laying. Brittle shells can break and cause binding or peritonitis . An internal layer will usually die from peritonitis .
How long has your hen been laying? And is she squatting or presenting to you ?
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My little girl is 17 months old, and has been laying since March last year - she started early as she was hatched in September 2012. She then went into a moult late last Autumn - heavily. Began growing feathers last Spring and soon began laying again - beautifully .... at least 6 eggs per week. Early summer - she was ok - still laying well. Then we had some horrid ultra-hot weather ( in Victoria ) ... and in that time she's was broody twice ( little wonder - the heat !! ). She is definitely squatting - and hoping I am a rooster maybe. I give her a gentle rough up - around the neck and back, and she walks off, fluffs herself up ( as they do ) ... and goes on with striding about her run with attitude - in and out of her coop etc. With her last broody effort, she began to moult - which I put down to the excessive heat we had here recently. She has spasmodically produced her eggs..... approx. 3 - 4 per week which is far less than she used to - since her last broody effort ( about 4 weeks back ) and the moult - plus the rubbery egg ?? The last 'proper' egg she laid was 17th Feb - 3 days back.

Her routine is up the creek. What with the heat, the broodiness, the very sudden change in weather down to much lower temps these past two days including the thunder, the mini ( or major - don't know yet ) moult - she seems all over the place. She has a nice full crop tonight - and I expect that to have depleted by tomorrow morning.

I am aware of how dangerous, indeed fatal, egg bind can be. I will watch her carefully over the next few days. Might even sit her on a mildly heated wheat bag on my lap - to see if that helps, if needed.

She is the smallest of the 3 chooks I have - and the others haven't been phased whatsoever about ultra hot weather, rain, thunderstorms, moulting, sudden cold or anything else !! They lay 5 - 6 eggs each per week. They are an RIR and a Welsummer. They are separated from Mindy, as my Welsummer would seriously kill her if she got half the chance. A friend suggested another Araucana as a little mate for her ? but I doubt that would be a good idea at this time. Meanwhile she has one or two lace-necked doves as 'friends' who call to her if I have not let her out of her coop early enough. !! She seems to love their company and allows them to feed from her feeder when I put it out ( which hasn't been often in the heat recently ). She does however, chase away the Indian miner birds.

Thank you for your interest and help ... I hope this gives you some further ideas on the state of little Mindy.

Cheers .... AB
 
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Anniebee said:
My little girl is 17 months old, and has been laying since March last year - she started early as she was hatched in September 2012.    She then went into a moult late last Autumn - heavily.   Began growing feathers last Spring and soon began laying again - beautifully .... at least 6 eggs per week.    Early summer - she was ok - still laying well.   Then we had some horrid ultra-hot weather ( in Victoria ) ... and in that time she's was broody twice ( little wonder - the heat !! ).     She is definitely squatting - and hoping I am a rooster maybe.   I give her a gentle rough up - around the neck and back, and she walks off, fluffs herself up ( as they do ) ... and goes on with striding about her run with attitude - in and out of her coop etc.  With her last broody effort, she began to moult - which I put down to the excessive heat we had here recently.   She has  spasmodically produced her eggs..... approx. 3 - 4 per week which is far less than she used to - since her last broody effort ( about 4 weeks back ) and the moult - plus the rubbery egg  ??    The last 'proper' egg she laid was 17th Feb - 3 days back.   

Her routine is up the creek.   What with the heat, the broodiness, the very sudden change in weather down to much lower temps these past two days including the thunder, the mini ( or major - don't know yet ) moult - she seems all over the place.   She has a nice full crop tonight - and I expect that to have depleted by tomorrow morning.

I am aware of how dangerous, indeed fatal, egg bind can be.   I will watch her carefully over the next few days.   Might even sit her on a mildly heated wheat bag on my lap - to see if that helps, if needed.

She is the smallest of the 3 chooks I have - and the others haven't been phased whatsoever about hot weather, rain, thunderstorms, moulting or anything else !!  They lay 5 - 6 eggs each per week.    They are an RIR and a Welsummer.   They are separated from Mindy, as my Welsummer would seriously kill her if she got half the chance.    A friend suggested another Araucana as a little mate for her ? but I doubt that would be a good idea at this time.   Meanwhile she has one or two lace-necked doves as 'friends' who call to her if I have not let her out of her coop early enough. !!   She seems to love their company and allows them to feed from her feeder when I put it out ( which hasn't been often recently ).  She does however, chase away the Indian minars.    

Thank you for your interest and help ... I hope this gives you some further ideas on the state of little Mindy.

Cheers .... AB      
Click to expand...

You are very welcome. I think that you have answered yourself though. The 3 main contributing factors in interrupting egg production are extremes in temperature , moulting and brooding. Try her on some sardines in oil and give her a warm bath , massaging towards the vent if and when you fear egg binding.
Yes she is presenting to you and when you ' rough her up ' she fluffs up just as she would when a rooster was paying attention to her. You are her roo. :lau
 
Fancychooklady said:
You are very welcome. I think that you have answered yourself though. The 3 main contributing factors in interrupting egg production are extremes in temperature , moulting and brooding. Try her on some sardines in oil and give her a warm bath , massaging towards the vent if and when you fear egg binding.
Yes she is presenting to you and when you ' rough her up ' she fluffs up just as she would when a rooster was paying attention to her. You are her roo.
lau.gif
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response and information, Fancychooklady. I will watch her carefully and do the warm bath thing or sit her on a warm wheat bag on my lap, if I think it is necessary. Just have to wait, hope and see I think. Will definitely try the sardines in oil tomorrow - a little at a time to see if she takes to them - she's a bit fussy !!!. Read somewhere about Vitamin D deficiency, although that would be strange, considering the heat and sun in recent weeks. But fish it is - to boost the Vitamin D. Heaven knows, us humans were extremely put out by the heat and sudden plunge in temps ( although thank Heaven for THAT ) .... I feel so for the birds and animals during these times.

Cheers ........... AB
 
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Hi AB,

I would not be too stressed just yet about a soft egg. Our flock laid quite a few as new layers, and our RIR spat out a soft one after being broody followed by a moult. I think it's sometimes part of the process to coming back online as a potential parent. Our all settled down after a couple of days.

Personally I would not bathe her unless it was needed, if she is already stressed from weather and noise partially submerged into water is only gong to add to the stress levels.

I would advise to just watch her and let her settle back down for a couple of days.
 
Fancychooklady said:
Nice to hear from you again. That will be a nice home coming gift. It rained so hard here last night that our roof sprung a leak. Now the winds have picked up again and being as there are quite a few ' widow makers ' hanging from last weeks storms I'm staying indoors.
Click to expand...

Yes I heard there was strong winds. Weather is not the greatest over here at the moment, I just hope it picks up for Saturday for my daughters engagement party.
I've been busy baking and decorating the cake.
Getting homesick now.
Hubby arrives late tonight.
 

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