MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

The day's news

Ivy inspected the nest box for the fourth time, then she escaped (naughty) and put herself back when she saw me coming (nice).

Peggy and Janet each laid an egg.

Sandy sat on Janet's egg for half an hour. Broody? How could that be when she's no longer laying?

Mary lost more hackles but she's got lots of fresh feathers coming through.

All the chooks ate some rather tired grapes and some bits of crust from my toast as well as their usual foraging, mixed grain, and pellets.

Blossom spent most of the day napping and avoiding the noise of the big digger next door.

The weather is warm but not hot.

 

[MaryJanet]

More news... I found weird things in the nesting box.

They weren't there when I brought the eggs in, so I guess Sandy left them early afternoon. But she's showing no signs of ill health. Instead, she's rollicking around in a shared dust bath with Janet and her comb and wattles are tomato red.

They're little pieces of chicken which apparently roasted in the box. Seems weird, but the sun would've heated the box up by mid-afternoon and these are tiny. Half the size of a fingernail.

Perhaps Ivy laid them?

Do I need to worry?

 

[LozzyR]

The day's news

Ivy inspected the nest box for the fourth time, then she escaped (naughty) and put herself back when she saw me coming (nice).

Peggy and Janet each laid an egg.

Sandy sat on Janet's egg for half an hour. Broody? How could that be when she's no longer laying?

Mary lost more hackles but she's got lots of fresh feathers coming through.

All the chooks ate some rather tired grapes and some bits of crust from my toast as well as their usual foraging, mixed grain, and pellets.

Blossom spent most of the day napping and avoiding the noise of the big digger next door.

The weather is warm but not hot.

Hi MJ, hope you’re feeling much better. Has Sandy stopped laying? Does that mean she won’t need surgery? Lucy sat on Charlie’s egg for about half an hour the other week, I thought it was cute. I let her stay on it, I wasn’t worried about her getting broody.

Tired grapes are a hit at our house! I’m also experimenting with growing wheat sprouts to supplement their feed. I haven’t officially given it to them yet but what I have offered to them was enthusiastically received!

 

[LozzyR]

More news... I found weird things in the nesting box.

They weren't there when I brought the eggs in, so I guess Sandy left them early afternoon. But she's showing no signs of ill health. Instead, she's rollicking around in a shared dust bath with Janet and her comb and wattles are tomato red.

They're little pieces of chicken which apparently roasted in the box. Seems weird, but the sun would've heated the box up by mid-afternoon and these are tiny. Half the size of a fingernail.

Perhaps Ivy laid them?

Do I need to worry?

View attachment 2035386

View attachment 2035387

Sorry, I’ve no idea what this is. My first suggestion would have been cecal poos but the second photo has me stumped.

 

[Shadrach]

It's difficult to tell from the pictures but....
Sandy has been unwell yes? Is it Sandy who has an implant? Sorry, I can't keep track.
They look like partially incubated shell less eggs to me.
This may be the cause of Sandy being under the weather and she has now finally layed what's been bothering her.
Hens with reproductive problems do internally incubate eggs they cannot pass for wahtever reason.
It would seem reasonable if the nest was clean and empty before Sandy went and sat and after she had sat these appeared, then she has laid them.
Save the pieces. Seal them up in a bag and keep them in the fridge to show to your vet.

 

[MaryJanet]

Hi MJ, hope you’re feeling much better. Has Sandy stopped laying? Does that mean she won’t need surgery? Lucy sat on Charlie’s egg for about half an hour the other week, I thought it was cute. I let her stay on it, I wasn’t worried about her getting broody.

Tired grapes are a hit at our house! I’m also experimenting with growing wheat sprouts to supplement their feed. I haven’t officially given it to them yet but what I have offered to them was enthusiastically received!

Much better thanks! And I'm so productive aftef those few days of rest.

Sandy hasn't laid an egg since her course of antibiotics which was... In November I think. Might've been October.

About twice a month her pupils dilate and she slows down for a day, then she comes good the next day.

If her health declines again, there's still the option of the hysterectomy or an implant.

But she's coping quite well with life at present, chasing the youngsters and thriving in third place in the pecking order, not last!

 

[MaryJanet]

It's difficult to tell from the pictures but....
Sandy has been unwell yes? Is it Sandy who has an implant? Sorry, I can't keep track.
They look like partially incubated shell less eggs to me.
This may be the cause of Sandy being under the weather and she has now finally layed what's been bothering her.
Hens with reproductive problems do internally incubate eggs they cannot pass for wahtever reason.
It would seem reasonable if the nest was clean and empty before Sandy went and sat and after she had sat these appeared, then she has laid them.
Save the pieces. Seal them up in a bag and keep them in the fridge to show to your vet.

Thanks mate! Much appreciated. Will do.

She was on antibiotics for a week in October (if I recall correctly) but she hasn't had an implant and nor did she have a hysterectomy in the end. Instead, she's been gradually improving over time with fewer and fewer days of soreness.

I'm not sure how the tiny eggs incubated though, because there's no rooster. Can unfertilised eggs cook inside like that?

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks mate! Much appreciated. Will do.

She was on antibiotics for a week in October (if I recall correctly) but she hasn't had an implant and nor did she have a hysterectomy in the end. Instead, she's been gradually improving over time with fewer and fewer days of soreness.

I'm not sure how the tiny eggs incubated though, because there's no rooster. Can unfertilised eggs cook inside like that?

The eggs don't need to be fertile to misfire. Just being stuck in the hens oviduct somewhere is enough to cook them. If that is what they are then you now know what is wrong with Sandy.
You should be able to make a judgement on whether or not the pieces look like egg.

 

[MaryJanet]

They have cooked egg white texture. But they're kind of brownish. No smell.

Based on this, I think you're right @Shadrach

 

[Shadrach]

They have cooked egg white texture. But they're kind of brownish. No smell.

Based on this, I think you're right @Shadrach

The fetus is formed in the Infundibulum. It lloks a bit like a cauliflower head. Each head a potential fetus. One by one these 'heads' drop off and travel to the Magnum where the white is formed around the fetus.
There is a sharp bend after the Magnum and this is often where misfires end up cooking.
After this the membrane is formed in the Isthmus. Once the membrane is formed which helps hold the fetus and white together, generally the egg will make it's way to the Uterus where the shell is put on. This can be the next problem stage. Bumps and other imperfections in the shell can make the journey to the vent and out difficult. Eggs are laid wet and if they don't get lubricated properly they can and do stick. That is eggbinding. Everything before an egg with a formed shell is another problem.