a weird "yolk" in the nesting box. We have four hens. Today, one hen seemed fine in the morning, and then dd went out with some leftover spaghetti (plain) for their afternoon snack. DAughter said all seemed to eat it with gusto. I checked for eggs at about 4 pm and one hen was in the coop, not in the run. She was breathing fine, eyes bright, comb bright red (she's a barred rock) but was just kind of standing around. I checked the two nesting boxes and found two eggs in one, but what looked like a lone yolk in the other. I don't know if it was originally an egg, but there was no shell, and no "white" that I could find, although there are lots of shavings in the box. Husband and daughter checked hens about 6 pm and hen wasn't really interested in eating yogurt and bread, and her crop wasn't very full as it normally is at this time of night. She did drink some water, though. Does this sound like broody behavior? Or do you think something else is wrong? They eat layer pellets and a handful of scratch, plus treats-- usually leafy greens such as turnip greens, or some fruit or oatmeal. They also get Avia Charge 2000 in their water. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I tend to worry myself terribly over these four silly hens but we love them so! Thanks again, Astrid
I would back off treats for a week or so and just let her have layer pellets. Make sure oyster shell is available free choice. She may have laid a soft shell or no shell egg. Too many treats make my mixed hen's shells way too soft. I used to give her a handful of scratch or cracked corn daily along with Romaine lettuce, cheerios, oatmeal, plain probiotic yogurt, and Pepperjack cheese. It was so much fun giving her treats! She seemed to really like them, too! But, the eggshell quality went down the drain and so we went back to a well-balanced chicken diet. Now everything is right again. I only give scratch or cracked corn on frigid evenings at roost time because it generates heat in chickens. On below freezing mornings, I offer a tablespoon of oatmeal with two teaspoons of probiotic plain yogurt. Other than really cold weather days and nights, treats have been reduced to once a week and very small quantities. The oyster shell will help make her eggshells hard again. Hope this helps! I worry about my flock, too!