Pullet has a bent tail

[Gargoyle]

Followup, two years later, still the same. She's healthy, going strong, has been laying eggs steadily (around 16 per month). About half the time she drops the egg either at night from her perch or while walking around, thinking she's pooping. Sometimes the bedding (pine shavings) catch the egg without damage, often they have little cracks- usually a soft spot in them. Some of the eggs are real long and lumpy, others are better shaped. Only about 1/3 are really good standard looking eggs.

We often give her some cheese for extra calcium, she enjoys that, and it does have a beneficial effect on the egg shell quality.

 

[chicken4prez]

Followup, two years later, still the same. She's healthy, going strong, has been laying eggs steadily (around 16 per month). About half the time she drops the egg either at night from her perch or while walking around, thinking she's pooping. Sometimes the bedding (pine shavings) catch the egg without damage, often they have little cracks- usually a soft spot in them. Some of the eggs are real long and lumpy, others are better shaped. Only about 1/3 are really good standard looking eggs.

We often give her some cheese for extra calcium, she enjoys that, and it does have a beneficial effect on the egg shell quality.

How is she now?

 

[Gargoyle]

She's still doing well. She will be four years old in a couple weeks. She stopped laying last September, then suddenly started again just after Easter. The eggs are still as reported above. She has trouble with calcium absorption, so her egg shells are thin; they often have hairline cracks, and if we don't collect them quickly they get stepped on and broken. Also, sometimes she will drop an egg at night while on the roost and not realize it, then try sitting on the nest during the day. However, since she resumed laying, there is a much higher percentage of viable eggs (unbroken) then there were a year ago. We'll see how it goes over the summer, she might be using up her winter calcium reserves. We do give her extra calcium. She has a really sweet disposition.

 

[chicken4prez]

She's still doing well. She will be four years old in a couple weeks. She stopped laying last September, then suddenly started again just after Easter. The eggs are still as reported above. She has trouble with calcium absorption, so her egg shells are thin; they often have hairline cracks, and if we don't collect them quickly they get stepped on and broken. Also, sometimes she will drop an egg at night while on the roost and not realize it, then try sitting on the nest during the day. However, since she resumed laying, there is a much higher percentage of viable eggs (unbroken) then there were a year ago. We'll see how it goes over the summer, she might be using up her winter calcium reserves. We do give her extra calcium. She has a really sweet disposition.

Great!

 

[Gargoyle]

She's on a roll, 5 eggs in the past 6 days. One got stepped on in the nest and broke, but the others were good.

 

[summerb123]

I know this is from a while ago but I have a why tailed hen! she is over 3 yrs old and a happy hen! just wanted share!