Sleeping in the nestbox, but different?

[gritsar]

My chickens seem awful sleepy lately. Must be the change of seasons. I know that's what gets me every year.
Still, my girls are usually awake and looking around while on the nest.
I just went and checked on them and Maggie is sound to sleep in the nestbox. She barely opened one eye and looked at me before going to sleep again.
Just the weather?

 

[gritsar]

Well looks like I am going to have to snatch Maggie up when she comes in from free ranging tonight and check her for eggbound. She slept in the box for awhile, but left no egg. It's her regular day to lay.
Now I'm worried because she's been laying huge eggs since she finished her molt.

 

[shelleyd2008]

No response?? To a gritsar thread? I guess it wasn't exciting enough

So what did you find out? Is maggie okay?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
She's fine. She has done it several times since then. She's been laying some really strange eggs since she went back to laying after molting.
I'm thinking it will straighten itself out in time.

 

[MistyValley]

Is it normal to get strange eggs after a molt? I'm new I was just wondering.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I really don't know at this point. Maggie is the first to finish her molt and get back to laying. I think it's because her eggs are much larger now than they were before the molt.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Have you wormed them? That might make her sleepy, if she has worms? Idk, just pulling straws here. I wouldn't think molting would make her sleepy. Have you given any vitamins, like kickin' chicken?
Edit to clarify: Being sleepy because of molting does make sense, but if she is finished, I wouldn't think she would still be sleepy. But I've noticed that mine seem to be more sleepy (less active) this time of year, it seems to take them a bit to get used to the shorter days.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
It's almost time for them to be wormed, since I did it in November of last year, but I've been thinking about not worming at all this year. They are molting right now and if I worm them as soon as they are finished, that's two more weeks of no eggs.
No signs of worms and Maggie looks perfectly healthy. She's just gotten into the habit of sleeping while she lays an egg.
I guess they are just adjusting to the change of seasons and the weather has been crummy. All these dreary wet days make me want to sleep alot too.