Just started laying - paralysis just before laying egg????

[caralouise1974]

I have a seven month old Australorp that started laying last week. For several hours before she laid that first egg she was in various states of paralysis (from totally incapable of standing first thing in the morning, to being able to walk gingerly just before the egg arrived at 3pm). Once the egg was out she was fine. I can see her acting strangely again today, walking with a tentative goosestep and sitting down a lot, and I suppose it means another egg is on the way.

Why is this happening and is there anything I can do to help her?

Thanks.

 

[kezabel]

I have no idea poor girl. But I hope someone comes along soon to answer your question.

 

[caralouise1974]

Got home from the doctor's surgery to find and egg on the back step! Daisy is now fine. This is so odd.

 

[Noble Rooster]

One of my girls did something similar when she first started laying. She wasn't paralyzed per se, but she would stop walking around/playing if I had them outside, and I would find her lying on the coop floor with half-closed eyes, looking very uncomfortable. She did this the first few times she laid, but then she was fine and has been ever since. She also produces ginormous eggs, so I'm sure that had something to do with it when her system was just getting geared up. But I was very concerned because I didn't want her to suffer through a process that was going to start occurring every day. Keep an eye on her but I bet she will be fine once her system adjusts.

 

[fiberart57]

My Australorpe was the first to lay and while she didn't have paralysis she had several moments of strangeness during the almost six hours it took for the first egg to come out. She squawked, she ran around, she dug holes everywhere, she froze. . . I don't think it's uncommon. I now have one who starts announcing that she's going to lay an egg at least an hour before she does it.

Mary

 

[caralouise1974]

Thanks everyone, I was kinda hoping you would all say it was just a temporary thing while she gets herself sorted out.

I have been giving tons of extra calcium when I can see she's struggling (she very much likes cheese spread and chunks of cheddar!) in the hope that if it is dietary, the extra calcium will give her the boost she needs to get the egg out. (I heard somewhere, I think, that calcium helps strengthen the oviduct contractions. I'm sure our vet gave my bluebelle a shot of it when she was eggbound.)

Fingers crossed she continues to improve...

 

[fiberart57]

I really feel that the best source of calcium is oyster shell in a separate dish so they can regulate themselves. This is how I do it and I have not had a soft shelled egg and the girls look good.

Mary

 

[lauriruth]

yep. last weekend was the first time i had been home to witness the pre-egglaying behavior of my BO. she' only been laying for a few weeks. she was out free ranging with the rest of the girls and began walking very strangely back to the coop...sort of a squat-walk. just when she reach the coop she started singing the egg song. she stayed on the nest for 45 min. came out(no egg), ranged for a while, went back in and sat for about an hour...finally she laid. they have oyster shell, grit and boatloads of calcium rich snackies. kinda like being constipated, i guess!!!