I posted this in the behaviors and egg laying threat but didn't get much for answers there so wanted to try here and hopefully can find more help.
This is what I posted on March 29:
ok.... So I have a CCL that hatched the middle of last April so 11 mo old. she has not laid a single egg yet.......
Back in Oct (days getting shorter and a lot of my girls were slowing down or stopping laying) she started to really check out the nest boxes was showing signs of being ready to lay with a bright red comb and wattles etc.... Then she started to really sit in the boxes for 1/2 hr to 2 hrs at a time. This went on for a few days and she never laid........ then she stopped one day and her comb and wattles went pink again.... So figured with shorter days it just messed her up........ she was fine and didn't really check out the nest boxes until around Jan/Feb but that was just going in here and there nothing big. Well then the end of Feb she went in again and had the red comb/Wattles, Would sit for hours in the nest boxes and I would run out after she left and.... nothing this went on for a few days to a week (don't remember exactly now). I went out one time and she was a bit puffed up (it was cold out but the others weren't) so wasn't sure if egg bound or cold so got some Calcium Citrate and gave her that. She didn't have the penguin stance, was eating, drinking running around other times..... same thing she just stopped going into the nest boxes or would go in and look around and scratch but not sit at all was a quick in and out....... ok so not egg bound and maybe where days were still short...... Oh and I know she was squatting this time since when I picked her up to give her the pill she squatted for me.
Fast forward to the last couple days and same thing........ In a nest box sitting for 1-2 house (Mon and Tue) but no egg........ She looked like maybe she was waddling a bit but was eating, drinking, running around no penguin stance, not puffed up etc. other than maybe a waddle (or I am imagining things) she seems perfectly fine.... I gave her a pill last night again just in case (I don't keep giving them but figured if she is struggling maybe it will help). Today she didn't go in the coop at all to even try to lay....... Oh and she squatted when I went to pick her up again this time.
Is there a problem or is she just not ready to lay? anything else I can look for? her vent looked a bit big last night when I looked (like not tiny and puckered) I haven't tried the epsom salt bath yet since she doesn't have the classic signs of egg bound so don't want to stress her out (and would have to do it in my house and it is still cool outside and no where safe to keep her in my house till she dries because of my cats and dog. If I absolutely HAD to give her a bath I could find somewhere to keep her). Should I keeping doing the Calcuim citrate pill for a few days? or no? Anything else to check or look for or do????? (I only gave the pill that one day as others said it seemed she was gearing up to lay so not to give it)
Now updates: She stayed out of the coop/nest boxes from last Tue till today.... Today was the same thing she went in was in for a while and no egg from her in there. I have camera's in my coop and can see who goes in what nest boxes and can tell who laid what egg from that. I have no blue eggs but even all tan and cream are accounted for. She is still waddling but doesn't stand like a penguin or pictures of the penguin stance I have seen. She eats, drinks, runs for treats etc. She is normally with the flock. The past couple nights I have noticed she will jump up to roost but then go and lay on the poop boards instead of staying on the roost which I found strange. Her comb and wattles are still red and not pale. Her abdomen is large but not squishy but not rock hard either but definitely "solid" feeling" Her but had some white poop on it but not a ton but she is normally very clean. I will post some pictures in the next post that I have of her from the past couple days. I tried to get a picture of her poopy backside but it didn't really show and hard to take pics of it when I am by myself to hold her, the camera etc.
ANY advice on what to do or just wait until she is acting sick and cull?
This is what I posted on March 29:
ok.... So I have a CCL that hatched the middle of last April so 11 mo old. she has not laid a single egg yet.......
Back in Oct (days getting shorter and a lot of my girls were slowing down or stopping laying) she started to really check out the nest boxes was showing signs of being ready to lay with a bright red comb and wattles etc.... Then she started to really sit in the boxes for 1/2 hr to 2 hrs at a time. This went on for a few days and she never laid........ then she stopped one day and her comb and wattles went pink again.... So figured with shorter days it just messed her up........ she was fine and didn't really check out the nest boxes until around Jan/Feb but that was just going in here and there nothing big. Well then the end of Feb she went in again and had the red comb/Wattles, Would sit for hours in the nest boxes and I would run out after she left and.... nothing this went on for a few days to a week (don't remember exactly now). I went out one time and she was a bit puffed up (it was cold out but the others weren't) so wasn't sure if egg bound or cold so got some Calcium Citrate and gave her that. She didn't have the penguin stance, was eating, drinking running around other times..... same thing she just stopped going into the nest boxes or would go in and look around and scratch but not sit at all was a quick in and out....... ok so not egg bound and maybe where days were still short...... Oh and I know she was squatting this time since when I picked her up to give her the pill she squatted for me.
Fast forward to the last couple days and same thing........ In a nest box sitting for 1-2 house (Mon and Tue) but no egg........ She looked like maybe she was waddling a bit but was eating, drinking, running around no penguin stance, not puffed up etc. other than maybe a waddle (or I am imagining things) she seems perfectly fine.... I gave her a pill last night again just in case (I don't keep giving them but figured if she is struggling maybe it will help). Today she didn't go in the coop at all to even try to lay....... Oh and she squatted when I went to pick her up again this time.
Is there a problem or is she just not ready to lay? anything else I can look for? her vent looked a bit big last night when I looked (like not tiny and puckered) I haven't tried the epsom salt bath yet since she doesn't have the classic signs of egg bound so don't want to stress her out (and would have to do it in my house and it is still cool outside and no where safe to keep her in my house till she dries because of my cats and dog. If I absolutely HAD to give her a bath I could find somewhere to keep her). Should I keeping doing the Calcuim citrate pill for a few days? or no? Anything else to check or look for or do????? (I only gave the pill that one day as others said it seemed she was gearing up to lay so not to give it)
Now updates: She stayed out of the coop/nest boxes from last Tue till today.... Today was the same thing she went in was in for a while and no egg from her in there. I have camera's in my coop and can see who goes in what nest boxes and can tell who laid what egg from that. I have no blue eggs but even all tan and cream are accounted for. She is still waddling but doesn't stand like a penguin or pictures of the penguin stance I have seen. She eats, drinks, runs for treats etc. She is normally with the flock. The past couple nights I have noticed she will jump up to roost but then go and lay on the poop boards instead of staying on the roost which I found strange. Her comb and wattles are still red and not pale. Her abdomen is large but not squishy but not rock hard either but definitely "solid" feeling" Her but had some white poop on it but not a ton but she is normally very clean. I will post some pictures in the next post that I have of her from the past couple days. I tried to get a picture of her poopy backside but it didn't really show and hard to take pics of it when I am by myself to hold her, the camera etc.
ANY advice on what to do or just wait until she is acting sick and cull?
