Laying in her sleep???

[Dave TBG]

For the last couple weeks, we've found an egg in the poop tray before sunrise most mornings. It seems that one of out pullets has been dropping eggs from the roost in the dark. Everything I've read seems to indicate that egg-laying is a day-time activity, but I guess my chickens haven't read the same thing. She's a 6-7 month old ISA Brown and started laying almost 2 months ago (during the day at first), layed regularly for a couple weeks, took a few weeks off before starting again. After about a week we started seeing eggs on the coop camera more mornings than not.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[azygous]

This isn't at all unusual in new layers. My spring pullets dropped a few eggs from the perch this September as their bodies were just getting the hang of this whole new thing.

 

[aart]

She's a 6-7 month old ISA Brown and started laying almost 2 months ago (during the day at first), layed regularly for a couple weeks, took a few weeks off before starting again. After about a week we started seeing eggs on the coop camera more mornings than not.

Odd that an ISA would take break so soon.
Was there any other changes in flock or coop when she stopped laying?
Are eggs on roost hard shelled or soft?
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Is your coop crowded?
Dimensions and pics of coop, inside and out, would help...
.... with number, ages, and genders of birds.

 

[Dave TBG]

Odd that an ISA would take break so soon.
Was there any other changes in flock or coop when she stopped laying?
Are eggs on roost hard shelled or soft?
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Is your coop crowded?
Dimensions and pics of coop, inside and out, would help...
.... with number, ages, and genders of birds.

The coop and run are a little small, it was planned for 3 birds but we brought home 4. The coop itself is 4 feet by 3 3/4 feet, 15 sq ft plus 2 external nesting boxes. There is a waterer in there but no food (that may change now that it's getting colder). There is a single roost, about 43" long and a foot or so high across the center, there is a tray of sand on the floor under it for easy scooping.
The run is also small, 8 1/2' x 3 3/4' or about 35 sq ft. I'd hoped to let them free range occasionally but it hasn't worked out. Food, water and oyster shell available in the run.
We have 4 pullets, 3 hatched around 5/1 and one is about a week older. They all came home on 5/5. Aside from the ISA, we have a RIR, a Black Star and a white Leghorn. They went from starter to flock raiser crumble in late August (plus oyster shell and grit). The ISA laid first, around 9/10, the Leghorn started about a week later. Both had the same pattern, first egg, a day off, 5 to 7 more normal eggs followed by a shell-less egg or two and then a couple weeks off before starting up again. I decided to switch them to Layena (the new "free range"s variety ) as a precaution after the shell-less eggs. The RIR started laying about a week after the Leghorn and also took a day off after her first egg, but she went non-stop for 2 weeks before missing another day. The Black Star, the oldest bird, didn't start laying until early October but has been somewhat consistent since then.
The ISA, as mentioned above, layed about 8 normal eggs in about 9 days before laying an egg with no shell at all. A few days later there was another egg with no shell but we don't know who did it, she took about 3 weeks off before resuming and was in the nesting box every morning around 10 for about 2 weeks before missing another day. In the 3 weeks since then we've found about a dozen eggs in the poop tray before sunrise, one egg that was in the nesting box before sunrise ( and her on the floor, next to the box) and she's skipped a few days as well.

 

[aart]

Layena (the new "free range"s variety )

What are the protein and calcium percentages on this feed, could find on a website?
Are you feeding any other foods or treats?

In the 3 weeks since then we've found about a dozen eggs in the poop tray before sunrise, one egg that was in the nesting box before sunrise ( and her on the floor, next to the box) and she's skipped a few days as well.

Were the roost eggs hard or soft shelled?
Good chance she has some reproductive disorder, not uncommon with high production hybrids but usually doesn't happen until their 2nd or 3rd year.

 

[Dave TBG]

I'll have to look up the numbers for the feed when I get home, I think it was the same as regular Layena. Treats are limited, a small handful (1-2 tablespoons) of sunflower seeds or corn & mealworm scratch to keep them busy while I'm cleaning the coop a few times a week is the main thing I give them. I'll sometimes put some millet or dried crickets in a toy to give them something to occupy them, less than once a week. My wife also gives them something each morning, sometimes a piece of fruit ( they like bananas) or a little oatmeal or cottage cheese. I told her to limit it to 2-3 tbsp per day.
All the roost eggs have been normal, strong enough to survive the foot+ fall into the sand. It's just the timing and location that's odd.

 

[Dave TBG]

What are the protein and calcium percentages on this feed, could find on a website?
Are you feeding any other foods or treats?

Protein, min, 16.0
Calcium, min, 3.25
Max, 4.25
Oyster shell is still available but they haven't had much in a while.

 

[Dave TBG]

At least she's consistent, she hasn't missed a day (night) since I wrote that first post and her eggs have gotten bigger, well into "jumbo" territory. Today's was 74.4 grams, yesterday was 74.6.