Egg-laying with blood, squawking, pain

[phy]

Hi all,
My chickens started laying eggs about a week ago, and I am worried because for the past 2 days, they have been squawking a lot (as if they are in pain) when they lay, and there is some blood on the eggs. It also looks like their poop is sometimes bloody/irregular/messy after laying. I am really concerned. Is this normal? What should I do about it?

Thank you!

 

[Happy Chooks]

How much blood on the egg?
Can you be more specific on what the poo looks like? Are you sure it's blood?


First eggs can have a bit of blood, but it shouldn't be much. It takes some time for their bodies to adjust to laying.


As for the noise, does it sound like this --------> bok bok bok bok BAGAWWWWWWK? (or something close to that)

If so, that's the egg song. Most hens do some variation of the egg song. It means your hen has laid an egg or is thinking about laying an egg. And it can be VERY loud.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Let me first say that I am no expert on chickens by any means! I have been told that for first time layers it is normal for the egg to be bloody on the outside. As far as the noise that is entirely normal. Sometimes it sounds like someone is getting killed in my coop but when I peek in it's just a hen laying an egg!!!

 

[phy]

There is quite a bit of blood, and it appears that their vent is bloody too. I would have to guess that the volume of the blood was a little less than a half of a cubic inch.

The poo was whitish and kind of look like it had exploded out of the poor hen -- it was covering the feathers near her vent.

Also, yes, that is the sound they made!

thanks for your replies