HELP disturbed a laying hen

[cowprint22]

Hello I'm new here!

We picked up three POL hens two weeks ago. A white star, speckeldy and a lavendar arcuana. They will all lay different coloured eggs so we should knows who's egg is who.

Last Monday out white star layed her first egg and layed again on days 2,3 and 4. All the eggs were pure white and small out perfectly formed. Day 5 no egg, fair enough.

Yesterday morning I found an yellowish egg that was soft and dented at one end. Not sure who layed it with it being yellowish. Then later that day I found a soft shelled / shell less egg in the best box.

This morning when I looked in the nest box the white star was in there so I closed the door quietly and left her to it. A few minutes later she came down and was make her 'I layed an egg noise' but when I looked in the nest box there was nothing. There was a soft shelled/ shell less egg under the perches at the other end of the coop.

So now I have several worries! I'm worried that I disturbed her while she was laying and something went wrong and there is no egg. I'm also worried that she started laying normally and has now either stopped laying altogether or either of the shell less eggs were hers? I'm assuming that two eggs yesterday means two hens laying?

Sorry I'm new to this! Can anyone help?

 

[aart]

Just give them time to get adjusted to their new environment, it can take more than 2 weeks.
They don't always lay an egg everyday or at the same time of day.
Some will spend time in the nest on and off but not lay......don't worry too much, just be patient and observant.
Chickens do some strange things and it can be fascinating to watch them and learn their behaviors-some of which won't make lick of sense lol.

 

[Mrs. K]

And don't worry too much about the soft shell, give them some layer feed, and they should settle down and lay well for you this year! When they first start laying, they are just figuring things out, and so is their body.

Mrs K

 

[cowprint22]

Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't expect eggs so soon and knew they don't always get it right at first but after she layed 4 perfect eggs in a row straight away I kind of figured she'd just carry on like that!

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like they could use some calcium. You can supplement with oyster shell or crushed egg shells. Or start feeding layer feed if you want. Either way works. I walk in on my hens all the time when they're laying. Sometimes I'll just wait in the coop while they finish, they leave the nest and I get a nice, fresh egg. Your going in the coop didn't cause her to not lay an egg, or lay a soft-shelled one. That egg is already developed how it's going to come out, and it will come whether you're there or not. At least that's my experience - it may not be the same for others.

 

[GuineaFowling]

I agree, feed your hens layer feed and supplement the calcium with oyster shells or egg shells. Since your hens are starting out I wouldn't worry much but once they are about a year into it make sure you give them a good supply of calcium. When I first started out with chickens I fed them Purina layer feed which isn't good quality and they started laying shell less eggs. Even though I supplemented the calcium it went on until I switched to a natural organic feed.

 

[cowprint22]

Thank you all for your speedy responses.

They're in layers pellets and have oyster she'll and crushed egg shells available too. I'll check out the quality of the feed. Hadn't consisted that. And I guess just wait and see what tomorrow brings!

 

[cowprint22]

Today brought a huge perfectly shelled white egg!

 

[bobbi-j]

So apparently there was a glitch in the production line for a couple of days. It happens. Glad things are better.