Three eggbound????????????

[SusanRenee]

I found a very thin broken shelled egg in a nest box the other morning, couldn't figure it out. Finally put the puzzle together and it's my Red Star having issues. She layed a HUGE thin shelled egg last week, then nothing, didn't think much since she's never been a great layer. This morning there was broken egg again in the box, and it's the one she sleeps in (I know.... silly chicken not on roost) I gave her the warm bath and checked up and in, gloved and with vasaline and a little poop came out, nothing else, no eggish stuff. I don't think I felt an egg, will try again tomorrow morning.

Now my two Ameraucana's haven't layed the last two days and that's very odd, they've been daily since I got them. Warm baths for everyone tomorrow? My other two hens who are laying are switching off each day, so they'e normal.

Calcuim deficency? I have oyster shell out since everyone is on grower, I have pullets too, but I don't see much dissappearing. Ammonia issues? Good ventalation in the coop, but I'm a day or two behind on shaving clean out, coop is very large, 7 X 8 X 7 to 8 and 1/2. I've checked for mites and didn't see anything. Stumped!

 

[jjthink]

I may not see your response to this as I'm not on BYC much since the new website was launched (my computer is just way too slow with it) but I'm sure others will plug in.

You mentioned they are on grower - how old are they?

How many birds do you have in the space you mention?

JJ

 

[speckledhen]

Wait, just because they haven't laid in two days doesn't mean there is anything wrong. They aren't machines, they're living creatures. It's hot and production goes down in the heat.


The sex link will most likely have issues, being a hybrid layer. They are prone to egg yolk peritionitis and internal laying anyway. There's really nothing you can do for either one of those. They are chronic conditions. BUT, there may be nothing wrong right now so I wouldn't keep probing the hen looking for something that probably is not there.

You do not have three egg bound hens. You probably have NO egg bound hens.

 

[halo]

I found a very thin broken shelled egg in a nest box the other morning, couldn't figure it out. Finally put the puzzle together and it's my Red Star having issues. She layed a HUGE thin shelled egg last week, then nothing, didn't think much since she's never been a great layer. This morning there was broken egg again in the box, and it's the one she sleeps in (I know.... silly chicken not on roost) I gave her the warm bath and checked up and in, gloved and with vasaline and a little poop came out, nothing else, no eggish stuff. I don't think I felt an egg, will try again tomorrow morning.

Now my two Ameraucana's haven't layed the last two days and that's very odd, they've been daily since I got them. Warm baths for everyone tomorrow? My other two hens who are laying are switching off each day, so they'e normal.

Calcuim deficency? I have oyster shell out since everyone is on grower, I have pullets too, but I don't see much dissappearing. Ammonia issues? Good ventalation in the coop, but I'm a day or two behind on shaving clean out, coop is very large, 7 X 8 X 7 to 8 and 1/2. I've checked for mites and didn't see anything. Stumped!

If they are acting fine, eating and drinking, you might want to just leave them alone. They dont lay every single day. Its been hot, they will back off when stressed. You'll know if they are egg-bound, they act very uncomfortable. They may be going into a molt. As speckledhen has often said, hens are not vending machines.

 

[SusanRenee]

We all put our heads together and realized it's been more like since last Sat since I've seen a blue egg, so pushing 7 days? Time flies when you have company here. It hasn't really been hot until two days ago, in fact we had storms the first half the week, so I'm not sure if that has been a factor? I did introduce a new pullet from pips&peeps on Monday, could intergration be an issue? She's very shy and hasn't interacted much with the others until today. (She and my roo were making friends finally... Cleaning his face, very cute.)

I went with a wam bath for my buff ameraucana and the red star just in case. Both were errr, pulsing? in the back end and looking uncomfortable. I figured at the least I have a clean chicken... The white one hasn't seemed off at all.

There are 5 hens, 5 pullets, 4 cockerels (grrr) and one roo in the coop. Grower because of the pullets, oyster shell out for the girls. The two Ameraucanas are about 8 months or so... Would that be a likely molt time?

I'm sure I'm just overthinking it, but when your new at stuff, you look at every possible thing, you know? I'm sure the fact that today is the only day I have to do a project in the coop and I have all of the boxes out and the floor dug up isn't helping a bit.

Have I mentioned how glad I am you all are here????

 

[nurse_turtle]

Laying hens need layer feed. If calcium levels are too low, the hen may have trouble passing the egg without it breaking. Consider mixing the oyster shell in with the feed. If your pullets are 10 weeks or more, they should be fine on layer feed.

 

[speckledhen]

They have a mini-molt at 9-10 months of age, but it isn't the BIG one. That happens around 18-20 months old.

If you haven't supplemented calcium, that could be one issue. They must have it.

 

[SusanRenee]

I have the oyster shell out for free feed in a seperate dispenser, but if the concensus is that everyone should be fine on Layer, I'll just switch. We're pushing 16 weeks on the older pullets and the two younger ones are about 12 weeks.

Should I do like you do with dogs and cats and mix the old and new for a few days when switching feeds?

 

[SusanRenee]

Well, put in a high calcium treat yesterday of ground spinach, yogurt and eggshells with a little whole wheat bread and cherrios for substance and lo and behold, a blue egg today! Not sure if I'm on to something or it's a coinsidence, but I think we're on a roll! Got the layer feed today, and I'll mix a half and half for a few to switch over.