Really concerned, please help: Bad Eggs in the Belfry

[amsunshine]

I have 3 hens in an indoor coop because of nasty neighbors (see my page for picture). My AO is not laying yet, my BO has been laying regularly for just under 3 weeks, but it's my EE who is having difficulties. On the first try, about 3 1/2 weeks ago, she laid TWO blue eggs. Shells were nice and strong. Next day she laid 1 egg, again normal. She had been QUITE loud for 3 days before she laid these eggs.

Fast forward to just over a week later when we found 2 busted soft shell eggs up in the bed/nest area (not where she laid before), late late at night (10:30 PM). We didn't know who laid those, but we found out tonight. It was my EE. Just over a week from her first softshell incident, she was up in the bed/nest area again around 9:30 PM, and laid 1 softshell egg which broke right away. About 15 minutes later she laid another egg, this one quite a bit smaller, about the size of a marble, and it was white on the outside with somewhat hardish gelatinous pointed end to it. I broke it open and it did have a yolk; in fact, it was mostly yolk. She seems exhausted now, and is still panting softly and standing up in the bed/roost area.

This bothers me. The laying does not appear to be going well for her. They have a big dish of oyster shell they can eat whenever they want. Is there anything else I can do for her? She is not the sharpest tool in the shed and I just hope that her problem ISN'T that she is not smart enough to eat the oyster shells. I mean, she can watch the other 2 do things and then she does not always imitate them...it's like she's scratching her head trying to figure out what they're doing, or trying to figure out how to imitate them. TIA

 

[Kittymomma]

Sounds like ypu're doing everything right. I have one EE who has always had problems too. She's ben in chicken jail (next to the others) for a month now because she turned into an egg eater, I guess all those soft shell eggs ereere too much to resist. You could try mixing some tums into a scramble egg or soft cat food once a day for awhile and see if the calcium boost helps her. Some hens just don't metabolize it well though and never do lay properly.

 

[pgpoultry]

Hens who have just started to lay often lay eggs which are large, small, double or no yolk or soft shelled. These things correct themselves with time.

Hens who would not peck open eggs with full shells often eat those with soft shells, so don't worry too much about this,

Sandie

 

[amsunshine]

Thank you for your replies. I hope she adjusts. This morning she is up in the bed/nest area, alternately pacing and making herself a nest, and bawking and cackling away VERY loudly, you know, caught-my-finger-in-the-door distress calls. It is very apparent that she is in a BAD mood--she nips at any of the other girlz who try to come near her. I would pick her up and try to comfort her, but I think she wouldn't like that--she's probably feeling quite prickly right now so I just have been speaking to her softly.

If she lays another egg yet this morning, I would think that would mean her body is under a lot of stress...that would make 3 eggs in 12 hours.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Wow sound like she either ovulating too fast or she's ovulating right and they aren't moving through properly. I can't help but that is scary for you sorry

 

[amsunshine]

Well, today she has let out a few bawks but is much calmer, no more eggs yet but I DID just remember something. I think when she gave her first eggs (and those were good eggs), I was scattering oyster shell, along with other treats, in their forage area. I had stopped doing that, and put the oyster shell in a dish next to their feeder, shortly after she started laying. I wonder if she had not eaten it out of the feeder, and then the eggs suffered because of that, because she preferred getting it via forage.

I've started scattering it again and will see what happens now. Stay tuned!