First egg, then soft egg, then nothing...

[KerriChick]

So I had my first egg ever last Tuesday! I was so happy to see it, and looking forward to getting my Cuckoo Marans eggs! Two days later(Thursday) she laid a soft egg-it was egg shaped and stiff enough that it didn't break until I picked it up and half dropped it trying to get it out of the coop...now it's Sunday, and she's been going in and out of the coop and arranging shavings in the nest box, but then comes out after a while and...nothing. Is this normal behavior for a new laying pullet? It's been hecka hot and we are in CA East Bay, no fires super near us but a lot of smoke. My 6 year old chases them around a lot but they are pretty used to it and very docile pullets that have been handled a lot. Hoping it will resolve soon, she has a dish of oyster shell and organic layer feed with some food scraps in the morning(all clean) and free ranging in the yard for most of the day(7000 sq. ft). Her vent looks clean, she is eating and drinking and foraging normally. Hoping it's just a bit of stress mixed with a young pullet figuring stuff out. I was so looking forward to at least one laying regularly!She is 20 weeks today.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Watch her to make sure shes eating some of the oyster shells

 

[KerriChick]

Watch her to make sure shes eating some of the oyster shells

She has been eating her fair share for sure.

 

[Peppercorngal]

She's a new layer and it takes time with some hen's to get the reproductive system in full gear. There can be glitches along the way, like you are experiencing. Be patient, she will begin to lay again. As long as she has good food, oyster shell and clean water she will be fine! This smoke is driving me crazy and I have no idea what it's doing to our chickens. ?? Behind the trees there is a lake! Visibility is about 1/4 mile only here.

 

[KerriChick]

She's a new layer and it takes time with some hen's to get the reproductive system in full gear. There can be glitches along the way, like you are experiencing. Be patient, she will begin to lay again. As long as she has good food, oyster shell and clean water she will be fine! This smoke is driving me crazy and I have no idea what it's doing to our chickens. ?? Behind the trees there is a lake! Visibility is about 1/4 mile only here.

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I am def just being a bit overly excited and impatient! I did feel between the hip bones of all 4 chickens, and she still just is barely 2 fingers wide While the others are only 1 finger wide. I am sure they have to be stressed with the smoke!

We have been spared from the heavy smoke so far for the most part, but with the predicted dry lightning tonight I am on edge and we are as ready as we can be to get out of here quickly should the need arise. Be safe and ready to go!

 

[KerriChick]

UPDATE:

She laid a shell-less egg just a bit ago, to my knowledge the first since last Thursday. However, I believe we are starting what looks like it may be fowl pox in my little flock of 4 which would def explain her slow down in getting started laying. She has a few very mild looking spots on her comb, and my BO has a couple suspicious areas on her comb. My other two have pea combs and look fine so far. Everyone is still vigorously eating and drinking and doing normal chicken stuff. Currently I am putting a couple drops of oregano oil in their various waters, I had some RopaPoultry supplement I was putting in there but ran out this week. I also have chickboost probiotics and electrolytes I have put in on the hottest days of the heat wave last week. Otherwise we are just going to ride this out and get eggs when we get them...at east the other three aren't laying yet??? Ugh.

I did freak out and buy a gallon of Oxine but after reading up on it (and being terrified by the label) I am holding off on using it inactivated to clean out the coop, and will stick to more basic soap and water etc. What do you all think about it? Sorry to hijack the thread with new info, but it does involve egg laying....

 

[aart]

My 6 year old chases them around a lot

A 6 year old child....or chicken?
If a child, not cool, make them stop..
I'd stop all the supplements...and your panic.
EL/Vits or OK once a week, and always have plain water available too.
Give her time, it can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out.

 

[KerriChick]

my daughter, a human child. She is getting much better and generally only handles our BO who loves people and being held.

I agree, patience is my friend.

We had another jelly egg this morning with no shell and no membrane. Almost missed it as it was at the bottom of their ramp with shavings on it. Going to put some ACV in and hold off in the rest, they free range in CA so vitamin D should not be an issue. The smoke is finally better and the temps are coming down a bit, so keeping my fingers crossed it was just all this crazy weather and smoky air. AQI was normalish last night as we had some ocean breezes coming in.
They have a couple large bowls of fresh water In shady areas that I ice if it gets over 85-90 in the afternoon. So it goes.

 

[aart]

ACV can inhibit calcium uptake.
Just give a good chicken ration and plain water....nothing else.

 

[KerriChick]

Ok will do... she is in the nest box right now, just being fussy about laying, can’t seem to settle. She did a huge egg song a bit ago and had our sympathetic BO singing along and they both had me cry laughing it was so loud. But no egg yet. I’m guessing by the ruckus this time it has a shell! She is by far our noisiest chicken-whoever said cuckoo marans are quiet, I have a chicken for them to meet! Chicken labor is weird.

I closed her inside the coop area(we have an accessible small run under) so she can just work out her business in there. Crazy chicken. She will let me know when she wants out

Also update re: fowl pox, was not pox I believe just dirty combs along with a spot or two from working out the pecking order...its all gone now.