Chicken struggles to lay

[Cargar]

I have a young Boschvelder who has been laying for a month or so. She's smaller than her sisters but has been laying nicely. In the last week two or three times, she's been struggling to lay but isn't egg bound. Her eggs are getting bigger and she does lay after a couple of hours but really struggles and seems in pain, crying out and clearly pushing and straining. The other chickens completely freak out, partly because they all share the same nest (despite there being 4 to choose from) and I'm sure partly because they are distressed seeing her. I'm worried that she's damaging herself by laying eggs that are maybe too large for her? Any help appreciated.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

Make sure you are offering oyster shell, free choice, so she can get plenty of calcium for her muscles.

 

[Cargar]

Make sure you are offering oyster shell, free choice, so she can get plenty of calcium for her muscles.

will that help her pass the egg? Her eggs are perfect, hard shell, well formed, no calcium deposits. They just seem to big for her to lay without straining.

 

[Cargar]

We live pretty much right on the beach as well so she has access to plenty of shell.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

You want to make sure she has plenty of calcium. That may help her muscles be strong enough to pass the egg. Maybe somebody else will chime in with an idea or two.

 

[aart]

We live pretty much right on the beach as well so she has access to plenty of shell.

Yeah, you don't really want shell fresh from the beach, especially if it's salt water.
The calcium helps with muscle contractions as well as forming the shell.
What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Have you taken a look at her vent?
A video showing her struggles may help here.

 

[Cargar]

Yeah, you don't really want shell fresh from the beach, especially if it's salt water.
The calcium helps with muscle contractions as well as forming the shell.
What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Have you taken a look at her vent?
A video showing her struggles may help here.

She gets laying feed as well as a regular poultry mix. I also spoil them with keifer and oatmeal or sometimes some cooked quinoa or brown rice. They free range all day in my rather large garden, any shells would be ground up in the garden. They like snails, also plenty of those shells around and they eat bugs. Her eggs have been perfect, I think they're just a little large for her. Her vent looks fine, no mess and no blood on the eggs when they come out but I'm worried the straining might injure her.

 

[aart]

Is she a lot smaller than her hatch mates.
They are all laying well with no problems?
Maybe her pelvic points are not of a good size.
Compare her to the other new layers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Cargar]

I only have 4. All the same age and 3 have been laying for about 5 weeks with no problems, lovely eggs. One chicken hasn't started laying yet but she may just be a late bloomer. The one I'm worried about is definitely the smallest, I will post a picture of how big they are now (about 6 1/2 months). Funny though, her comb developed so much earlier than her larger sisters we initially thought she might be a rooster. So when she started laying I equated it with the smallest girl in the class growing her chest much earlier than other girls? And as I said, one of her clutch sisters still hasn't laid and she has the smallest comb by far.
Just to add to what I feed them, I also give them plenty of fresh greens like spinach, leafy lettuce and fresh clover and cilantro which they love.

 

[aart]

She gets laying feed as well as a regular poultry mix. I also spoil them with keifer and oatmeal or sometimes some cooked quinoa or brown rice.

What exactly is this?

Just to add to what I feed them, I also give them plenty of fresh greens like spinach, leafy lettuce and fresh clover and cilantro which they love.

All the extras are fun for the keepers, and sure the birds like to eat them...
...but might not be the best nutrition.
All they really need is a good chicken ration, and plain fresh water,
anything extra can dilute that perfected nutritive balance of the ration.