Help! (Does this get some attention?) LOL

[dbblondee]

I have an almost 6 month old Opal Legbar. She laid her first egg about 2.5 weeks ago in the dirt and there was no hard shell. My flock thought it was a treat and chased each other around eating it. About a week later, she laid in a nesting box this time 2 at once! One had very little if any shell and the other one had a thin layer around it (scrambled them up and fed them to my dogs can't waste these little nuggets) BUT NOW she is not laying anything. All the others are laying nice hard shelled eggs. What is happening with her? I have good laying feed and oyster shells for them to grab anytime. I do feed them live meal worms a few times a week (it's quite entertaining) and dried larvae thrown around their coop. They get good quality snacks from time to time as well. I'm lost on what is happening to her now. She is not sick and eats very well (also she has a very loud voice she likes to express often) and I can pick her up and pet her. Any ideas or suggestions? I've read many different things and some say she may not lay anymore? Is this true? I'm a first time chicken momma so this worries me. Some of you seasoned owners have such great suggestions so I'm hoping to find out something I can do to help her. Thanks in advance!

 

[thecatumbrella]

One of my first hens was like this. She just had a hard time making eggs. You said you have both layer feed and oyster shell, so that's all good. I'd try supplementing her with calcium citrate tablets, 1 per day, for up to a week. Pull down on her wattles and just pop the pill in her mouth. She should swallow it.

Here's an example of what you're looking for at the drugstore.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I don’t know that I would worry. She’s new to laying so it might take her body some time to figure out how to do it. I would check for any hidden nests in case she just hasn’t figured out where to lay consistently and then give her a couple more weeks and see how it goes. I found a soft-shelled egg under my roost last week and a fairy egg a couple days later. No idea if they were from different chickens or what but my girls are about 6 months old and I am not getting consistent eggs from any of my pullets. I might be kind of blasé about it compared to other people but I know they’re getting what they need to lay so I am not worried about it.

 

[Mrs. K]

Laying is considerably more genetic than it is diet. I would guess this is an internal genetic malfunction. Unless the diet is grossly not meeting their needs. Yours is perfectly adequate as in the other birds are laying fine on it.

You can treat, but I don't think it will make any difference. You really cannot make a bird lay eggs.

Mrs K

 

[dbblondee]

As always, you all never disappoint. Thank you so much. I just may have a backyard freeloader and for me I could care less, I love them all the same This helped!