Rubber egg

[ShrekDawg]

I got kind of a rubbery egg yesterday and of course it was broken in the nest box. I think it could possibly be not enough calcium? But I want to make sure it's not something else. Besides not enough calcium, what usually causes this?

They do have oyster shell but it's in a cage cup on the door of the coop and not that obvious or easy to get to. They used to have multiple bowls but I haven't refilled the others in a bit. So I guess I should go back to multiple bowls? They also sometimes eat egg shells from the compost pile when they get to go out

 

[sourland]

I'd refill the bowls with oyster shell just in case. This can also sometimes happen during times of stress or at the beginning or end of a laying cycle. If it becomes routine, it is generally more serious.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks a lot, Sour! Btw, welcome back!

I'll refill the bowls and see what happens.

They also just had that potential predator scare the other night and had a hen removed from the flock the same time (broody hen, just reintroduced her a few minutes ago) so would that cause enough stress to cause the rubber egg?

 

[sourland]

Perhaps . It can be a single factor or result of many factors. I'm assuming that they are on a laying ration ?

 

[ShrekDawg]

It's a little bit strange though as one time last year they were attacked by a hawk and they still never stopped laying or anything. The hawk almost got one too, feathers missing (like huge pile of feathers) and it chased her a bit judging by the trail of feathers and foot prints in the snow. Found her across the yard hiding out under a fallen tree, traumatized. The others scattered too but I found most in some bushes and lured them home with bread. One though was missing for hours and I thought I'd never find her. she finally came home though. It was scary but everyone was fine. I didn't even know they'd been attacked, I just looked out and saw a hawk sitting in a tree and thought to go check them, couldn't find any of them. The dog didn't notice because hawks are silent. After that is when I stopped letting them free range for a while and now only let them for a few hours and/or when I can watch them and they've been spooked by fox and raccoons a few times but they were in the run.

So I'm leaning more towards the calcium thing... does that sound right?

It's weird, I have read how these things (stress) can cause them to stop laying and all sorts of issues but mine must be extra hardy or something because they just don't care. They only stopped laying for winter

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh! And yes they are on a layer ration. They're usually on an 18% protein one but I got the wrong one last time so they're on 16% right now, not that it really matters aha