- Jun 18, 2013
- 25
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I've noticed over the past couple of days, some soft-shelled eggs here and there in random places of my chicken run (my chicken run is around 10x22). Here's some back story:
I have 3 chickens (2 hens/1 rooster) and 1 guinea (hen), the culprit is my black silkie hen. She was raised from chicks, with all of the current birds she's with, but I've noticed she's always the odd one out. I did also have a white silkie chick, who she (black one) was bonded with, but sadly it died as a chick. This silkie is always away from the other birds, meaning around 1 ft away at all times. All of the other birds pay no attention to her, so no pecking or anything mean. The others just do their thing, and she acts like she's been traumatized, even though the others have not even laid a feather on her (not even rooster). She is also super afraid of people, if she just sees them she runs away as far as she could go. I have noticed she doesn't really eat the egg layer feed, nor treats, like the others. She takes 2-3 pecks and walks away. I have many nesting boxes open all the time, but she just lays them on the ground as she goes.
I have a feeling she's low on calcium, since she isn't eating much. I'm thinking of separating her to a 5x6 add-on to the run, so she is alone. However this add-on is more open (other run is all fence) so us humans (and dogs that she's scared of also) will be in her view no matter what, so it may stress her. I would like some more advice before I do this though, thanks!
I have 3 chickens (2 hens/1 rooster) and 1 guinea (hen), the culprit is my black silkie hen. She was raised from chicks, with all of the current birds she's with, but I've noticed she's always the odd one out. I did also have a white silkie chick, who she (black one) was bonded with, but sadly it died as a chick. This silkie is always away from the other birds, meaning around 1 ft away at all times. All of the other birds pay no attention to her, so no pecking or anything mean. The others just do their thing, and she acts like she's been traumatized, even though the others have not even laid a feather on her (not even rooster). She is also super afraid of people, if she just sees them she runs away as far as she could go. I have noticed she doesn't really eat the egg layer feed, nor treats, like the others. She takes 2-3 pecks and walks away. I have many nesting boxes open all the time, but she just lays them on the ground as she goes.
I have a feeling she's low on calcium, since she isn't eating much. I'm thinking of separating her to a 5x6 add-on to the run, so she is alone. However this add-on is more open (other run is all fence) so us humans (and dogs that she's scared of also) will be in her view no matter what, so it may stress her. I would like some more advice before I do this though, thanks!
