Lightning, missing eggs, and possible PTSD?

[Jessica1228]

During a big storm three weeks ago lightning struck our barn. Since our coop is in-barn and the rain was pretty heavy, the whole flock was inside. The hens didn’t lay that day (who would. But the next day the eggs were deformed, almost hourglass shaped, and almost scrambled inside. We tossed them and thought nothing of it. We have never had a deformed egg form any of our hens, let alone all of them! I have not found a single egg since then. It’s rained almost every day since and each time it clouds over the whole flock freaks out!

I’ve head of hens not laying after storms but it’s been some time now. Has anyone ever had this happen or any guesses why/ if this is the case? Do they have post traumatic stress now and I should write off the chance of ever getting an egg in this climate?

 

[rancher hicks]

It is possible for them to get upset and not lay. Sometimes a new roo or addition of a hen will throw them off til the pecking order is reestablished.

 

[chicmom]

Wow, that's really something I've never heard! I wish you had a picture of the deformed eggs......I would have loved to see that. There's not alot you can do but wait until they've calmed down.........the must have been tramatized big time!

 

[mmaddie's mom]

My daughter's German Shepherd was tramatized by a very close lighting strike... he was scared of storms from that day on... AND he never layed an egg after that either!

 

[Jessica1228]

lol, lmao! Good point, very good point. I guess I'll just wait (hopfully) it out. So the storm/ rain thing is fairly common with hens?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I'm thinking waiting is all you can do anyway... oh, and maybe lots of special treats!