new egg laying problem

[cortner1195]

I got my adult daughter started on chickens this year. They are just starting to lay. The two sex links are doing great. Daily large eggs. The BR is the one in question. She has been laying at least two weeks. Alternating very small eggs with unformed eggs, and a few soft shelled ones. They have had free access to calcium supplements since the second unformed egg. Today was a regular large egg, but it took a while. She seems to have to work at laying. Where my one year old hens sit quietly.
Some of these odd eggs may also be from her buff. The very small, formed eggs may be two slightly different colors.

I advised her to add a vitamin supplement to their water, to make sure this one hen has enough vitamin D.


Any other advice? I had chickens 20 years ago, and for the last year. I have never seen this much trouble getting them laying on a regular consistent basis.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sometimes it takes a bit to get hard shelled eggs. Every hen matures differently. Keep the oyster shell available and the eggs will harden within a few weeks.

 

[donrae]

New layers just need time to work things out sometimes. Irregular schedules, double yolks, no yolks, shells with weird lumps and bumps and shapes, forgetting to put the shell on at all, meat spots.........these are all well within the realm of normal for a new layer. It's a living creature's reproductive cycle, it's not like they just flip a switch. Sounds like you're doing everything right, just relax, don't stress so much over it and give her time.

 

[cortner1195]

Thank you both for your advice. We are nervous mom's!