First Time Layer Observations/Questions

[ColoradoMike]

Okay, so I guess we got our first 'egg' yesterday, but boy was it a mess! Our red sex link, Henrietta who began squatting for me last week, was acting a little strangely yesterday afternoon. I pulled her out from under the raspberry bush and noticed a clear fluid was slowing dripping from her vent and I told my wife that she may be close to laying. Close is an understatement - she must have let the 'egg' drop while she was standing right next to the chicken yard gate a few minutes later. I went back out to check on her after a short while and saw the crumpled up soft shell with egg white oozing out. I got a paper towel to clean up the mess (didn't want to tempt any of the chickens with fresh egg).

So, it had a smallish yolk and looked okay for egg innards, except there was the soft shell and whatnot - I figured this wasn't too out of the ordinary. I am a little concerned that Henny seems to have fluid leaking from her vent still - not gushing or anything, but there's still stuff coming out. In fact, she didn't roost last night with the other birds, but opted to hang out on the coop floor. This morning, I noticed two spots where she seems to have spent time last night - there were areas covered in what looked like mixed egg innards - with no shell residue. So, it appears that she has been leaking egg whites/yolks ever since her first 'egg'. My question is, is this normal? Should I be worried about Henny? She seems to be starting pretty early - she's probably around 17-18 weeks. She also seems a little shell shocked still...

Any thoughts?

 

[hunter58]

I also have some hens laying their first small eggs. Do you know how long it takes for normal laying and normal egg size to start ????

 

[lauralou]

I've never seen anything like that from any of my pullets.

I would be concerned.

If you don't get any good advice in this thread, maybe post another one in the Emergencies section.

 

[cmom]

For a pullet that has just started laying, it's not uncommon for them to lay soft or shell less eggs. Also in the beginning they may skip days. The eggs will get larger after they have layed for awhile. I have a dish of free choice oyster shells by the birds feed. They will take what they want and need. Also I sometimes put some yogurt in some feed for them.

 

[lauralou]

Sorry if I wasn't clear before. Softshelled eggs are normal. All manner of wierd eggs are normal when a pullet first starts laying. I've found some very strange blobs under the roost. But the chickens expelled them with no problem. I've never seen anything hanging or leaking from a vent.

That's the part that would concern me.