Egg Trend?

[baysidechicks]

My red sex-link has been a champion egg layer, every day since her first egg on August 31. No changes in environment, she's the top hen in the flock and they were all raised together and usually get along great, my other three girls are all laying. They are just a couple of weeks shy of a year old. Over the weekend, she was late for laying her egg, after being an early morning girl; the next day, her egg was paler than usual and had a thin spot; no egg yesterday, and today TWO eggs, one I found on the run floor, pale and with a weak spot that had chipped, and then later another one in the next, also very pale, with the round flat spot on it as shown. I looked at the sticky on egg shapes and while it's obviously been bumped up against another egg, I don't think any of the reasons apply here. They are fed Kalmach 17% protein layer crumbles and have been eating that for months. They have oyster shell available and since I live in the Florida Keys, our ground is made of calcium so the gravel she picks up is also made of calcium. She is bright and chipper and eating. I give them a veggie or fruit every day in addition to their crumble, it's either kale or grapes or apples or zucchini, nothing too crazy and the four of them all get their share. Is this temporary? Any thoughts?

 

[baysidechicks]

And I don't think they're crowded; their combination run/open air coop is 8 X 8, and 8 feet high with the roost and nesting boxes on a raised level (not next to each other). On weekends I let them into their "side yard", which is fenced and hawk netted, for some scratching around.

 

[DougVC]

We see that from time to time with our ladies as well. I wouldn’t worry about it unless it starts happening consistently. A lot can happen during the time the egg is developing so if that is the only blip over the course of a year I would think you are doing just fine.

 

[aart]

I give them a veggie or fruit every day in addition to their crumble, it's either kale or grapes or apples or zucchini, nothing too crazy and the four of them all get their share.

Cut the extras out for a week or two, see if that changes things.

 

[baysidechicks]

Today her egg was late and colored ombre, light to darker and there were speckles in the darker, and it was definitely stronger. I'll cut out the treats for a week - I'm about to become very unpopular in the coop!

 

[baysidechicks]

and it's back to normal! Thanks and hopefully this thread will reassure other new chicken moms like me. Love Backyard Chickens!