Going through the motions of laying, but no egg?

[JustSarahThanks]

I'm hoping this is just a blip and not going to be a trend and not a harbinger of eggbinding to come, BUT... One of my pullets (an Austra White between 36 and 37 weeks old) just this morning went through the motions of laying, parked in the box for a while and then when I saw that she'd come out and was scratching around in the run, I went out to collect the egg and there was no egg to be found. She started laying on September 15th and has been reliable like clockwork since, has never had more than one day off from laying (which she did yesterday), even when we had to move them all into the basement in September because the wildfire smoke was so bad.

She's not behaving unwell in any capacity, she's been socializing with her sisters, scratching around, eating and preening and if I hadn't specifically been aware that she put in a little "time at the office" this morning I wouldn't have even thought twice about it. I gave her abdomen/the area around her vent a gentle external feel and it felt kinda squishy, nothing egg-shaped or hard so I felt two of her sisters for comparison and from my total novice vantage point she feels pretty much the same as everyone else. Appetite/water intake/energy are all normal, I haven't specifically watched her poop yet this morning but there was a nice, healthy pile below where she roosted last night that I scraped into the compost pile this morning. Because of accidentally purchasing a different feed than they'd been on they're all currently getting both Bar Ale organic layer pellets and Scratch and Peck layer feed (whole grains) which I've been mixing together for about a month as they really don't actually seem to like the pellets at all to try to work my way through the 40# of feed they don't like (I also try and dress it up a little with shredded carrot greens or mixing yogurt or buttermilk into it), but as said that's been true for at least a month and a half at this point. They all have grit and oyster shell provided all the time.

I guess, just hoping for some wisdom from those among you all who've been doing this for eons and have had a million chickens and have seen it all, when do you start worrying and intervene? I could give her a bath in the basement bathroom if needed, I have epsom salts on hand however I don't own a hair dryer.

We've also had some rats off and on (I have a ratinator trap that's out but I haven't caught any rats with it since October) so it's not impossible that there could be an egg thief in our midst but I haven't found any viable "getaway" spots for a rat, certainly none that would also be able to fit one of Charisma's large Austra White eggs through it and garter snakes would be hibernating at the moment, I think.

(also I halfway expect that by merely going through the action of writing a post worrying about this I might go outside and find an egg waiting for me, because that's just kind of how the world works, isn't it? Also, yes I am a life long chronic over worryer. Just ask my husband)

Anyway, including a couple screen grabs from the Flockstar app for Charisma, I didn't start tracking right when she got to POL in September, though, I started the week of Thanksgiving but I think the little snippet of recent data might help show why this is worrying me a little.

 

[azygous]

This isn't uncommon for new layers to interrupt their laying with a few days off. Keep watching her behavior, though. If she returns again and again to the nest without producing anything, then she may be experiencing a problem. Especially if you see her acting unwell, tail held low, self isolating, she will then need help. Get some calcium citrate and keep it on hand. Give her one tablet directly into her beak if you see the above symptoms. It will help her expel the egg. This is what to buy.

If the above happens, it's very important to monitor her for what she expels. If it's a soft or shell-less egg, she will need calcium tablets each day until her eggs are back to normal. If an egg comes out broken or a membrane comes out and not the egg contents, then she should have an antibiotic to head off a yolk bacterial infection of the reproductive tract.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

This isn't uncommon for new layers to interrupt their laying with a few days off. Keep watching her behavior, though. If she returns again and again to the nest without producing anything, then she may be experiencing a problem. Especially if you see her acting unwell, tail held low, self isolating, she will then need help. Get some calcium citrate and keep it on hand. Give her one tablet directly into her beak if you see the above symptoms. It will help her expel the egg. This is what to buy.View attachment 2484159

If the above happens, it's very important to monitor her for what she expels. If it's a soft or shell-less egg, she will need calcium tablets each day until her eggs are back to normal. If an egg comes out broken or a membrane comes out and not the egg contents, then she should have an antibiotic to head off a yolk bacterial infection of the reproductive tract.

Awesome, thank you for this! A couple months back in an effort to be proactive with whatever home care might be needed I actually bought some calcium with D3 to keep on hand, just in case (also bought a B complex based on things I was reading on here, again just to hopefully avoid being in a bind if it was needed down the road). Hopefully she's just decided to take an extra rest day, I'll keep monitoring her and report back if anything goes sideways. Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy, lengthy post!

 

[azygous]

Is it calcium citrate or calcium carbonate? The first one is best to use for reproductive crises. Glad to hear you are proactive. That approach will save a chicken's life when you are prepared as you are trying to be.

 

[Henrietta 65]

Totally of topic but where do u get that app and is free

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Is it calcium citrate or calcium carbonate? The first one is best to use for reproductive crises. Glad to hear you are proactive. That approach will save a chicken's life when you are prepared as you are trying to be.

It's calcium citrate (400mg) with 12.5mcg of D3... Hopefully the strength isn't too low, since the one you showed me is 630mg. I also have a pill splitter and could give her an additional half tablet if 400mg is too small a dose.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Totally of topic but where do u get that app and is free

I think it was free? I can't remember, honestly. But here! https://flockstarapp.com/

I had started a google spreadsheet to track daily eggs and the spouse found this app and it just seemed more streamlined to do it through the app.

 

[azygous]

400mg will work.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Welp, after a whole lot of "fanfare" (both Charisma and her much, much bossier, pushier sister wanted to be in the same, apparently only acceptable nest box and so much screaming ensued until they sorted it out), we have this!

It's a little darker in color than her usual, and she's never laid a speckled egg before. The speckles are the color her eggs typically are. I assume because this one spent longer in the production line that's why the darker pigment plus lighter spots.

 

[aart]

Welp, after a whole lot of "fanfare" (both Charisma and her much, much bossier, pushier sister wanted to be in the same, apparently only acceptable nest box and so much screaming ensued until they sorted it out), we have this!View attachment 2485381

It's a little darker in color than her usual, and she's never laid a speckled egg before. The speckles are the color her eggs typically are. I assume because this one spent longer in the production line that's why the darker pigment plus lighter spots.

Great!
Did you give her the calcium supplement?