weird eggs, molting or sick???

[newhenstein castle]

Thanks, sounds encouraging. I will let you know!!!

 

[newhenstein castle]

Quote:
Wynette, The hen is still laying the whiteish eggs with the brown spot on it. I DO want to say that the shell thickness has improved since I started them on oyster shell. I will keep you posted.

Now I have to deal with a broody Golden Sexlink. She is sooooo determined to be in that nest box I will have to figure out how to break her without it breaking my heart.... And I only have 4 hens! Drama drama.

Conny

 

[Wynette]

I wouldn't worry about the dark spot on the shell; just might be her "signature"! If shell thickness is improving, that's great!! If they're still not thick enough, encourage more calcium intake by offering yogurt or cheese. Sometimes, they just don't much care for the oyster shell.

The easiest way to break a broody - put them in a dog crate by themselves for 3 full days. The bottom MUST be wire (what I did was took a plastic crate & cut the bottom out, and added hardware cloth), because that's what actually breaks them of it. THen, you have to either hang the crate up (some folks hang it right in the run), or put it up on blocks like cinder blocks. THe idea is that there is air flow underneath the crate. DO NOT give access to a nest box or anything, and no shavings or any type of bedding. Just make sure they have food/water. I use the small cups that are for parrots and hang them off the front of the cage. 3 full days, then put her back & she'll be done being broody!

 

[PepsNick]

Yeah, I recommend starting to feed oyster shell to all hens at about 18 weeks of age.

 

[Wynette]

I don't begin feeding oyster shell until I see the first one lay the first egg from that hatch. They really don't need it until then.

 

[newhenstein castle]

Wynette, the soft shell layer just layed another poor egg yesterday. It seems to be going in order: "egg poop", softshell, rough shell with spot, soft shell, "egg poop". I will go and get yogurt today. They're not getting my Nancy's

As for the broody (she is a Golden Sexlink, Nicholas) she is on quaranteene on the outer chicken run. The others have access to the next boxes. The GS doesn't seem to want to lay eggs on the ground outside. I don't have a spare dog kennel. But I am checking craigslist for a crate.

It is super hot (100) here right now. That's unusually hot for Vancouver, WA, weather. Yesterday only two of my four hens layed (one of them unappealingly soft). What a mess.

THanks for all the good advice,

Conny

 

[beth59]

We get those weird eggs from one of our EEs. Maybe one a week and the rest look normal. They are rougher feeling and have darker splotches.

Beth

 

[RL]

I have a Light Brahma hen that would lay soft shelled eggs like yours is laying. Mine seemed to be due to stress from my mean Rooster. A few days after I got rid of the Roo she she started laying normally and has been doing so ever sence. It's just a thought, but check to make sure your hen is not be stressed out from something.

 

[Wynette]

Have you noticed her eating the oyster shell at all? How long now has she had access to it? It could take 7-10 days, if that is the cause, or she could just not be eating enough...there ARE diseases that will make their eggs soft like that and have egg issues, but I just don't think that's what is going on by your description. If another hen laid a thin shelled egg, it could very well just be due to stress of some sort, as RL mentioned. It could also be heat related. Also, how long has she been laying??

 

[newhenstein castle]

There is no rooster. But heat. There is a change in the pecking order. The dominant hen is the poor layer. She has been laying for a year now. Her eggs used to be brown and darker than the others. That's why I am worried about all of the above mentioned changes on the eggs.

Hmmmm....