Calcium citrate after difficult first egg?

[thecatumbrella]

Mushroom finally laid her first egg. It was a 3 day ordeal of going in and out of the nest box at record pace. This afternoon, she set up shop in there for quite a while, maybe a couple hours? I happened to be in the run when she came out, and her comb was pale and purple. She started penguin walking and pushing, with only white/clear liquid coming out. I could see her cloaca potentially had an egg. I ran to get my husband, came right back, and they were pecking the newly laid egg on the ground. I watched her eat and drink, and the color finally came back to her comb. She did her usual scream for cuddles. All seems well.

Was she eggbound? Should I go out and get some calcium citrate? I'm reading threads with similar issues, and I see pullets often pass away.

Any help is so much appreciated. I feel guilty that I didn't help her sooner.

 

[Lillith37]

Sometimes they struggle with laying when they first start. If you’re worried you can give her the calcium supplement daily for a week and see if it helps. What do you feed them?

 

[thecatumbrella]

Right now, they're eating a 17% protein layer feed (Kalmbach brand), with a couple tablespoons of black soldier fly larvae before bed. I haven't seen her hit the oyster shell in a while. I'm guessing the calcium citrate can't hurt?

 

[Lillith37]

Right now, they're eating a 17% protein layer feed (Kalmbach brand), with a couple tablespoons of black soldier fly larvae before bed. I haven't seen her hit the oyster shell in a while. I'm guessing the calcium citrate can't hurt?

No it won’t hurt.

 

[wrathsfarm]

How big was the egg?
It could be just an isolated incident if it was an overly big egg being a new layer.
One of my Black Copper Marans pullet has been laying for roughly a week but 1 day I noticed her really straining in the nest box actually moaning. The egg that finally laid was huge, much lighter than all her others with a deformed end. Felt bad for her having to lay that size being a new layer.
This is her normal size and color she's been laying.

And then the one lone, huge egg she had a hard time with. She's back laying her normal size now and color.

Hopefully it's just a glitch for your girl and she gets all happy laying.

 

[thecatumbrella]

How big was the egg?

Your poor girl! That’s a massive egg!

Mushroom’s was the same size as her sister’s, which I believe is a medium egg?

 

[Lillith37]

Mushroom’s was the same size as her sister’s, which I believe is a medium egg?

My Australorp lays smaller eggs than my other production breeds -- ISA/Hy-line/RIR mix-ups and leghorn mutt.

a couple tablespoons of black soldier fly larvae before bed

I would only give them a couple of larvae each as a treat before bed.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Picked up 600mg calcium citrate tablets, broke one in half, tossed it in the run, and she gulped both halves down.

No egg today, thank goodness. Her poor body needs a break.