What is happening here?

[RussellOR]

Hi, I am rather alarmed by what I found in my coop this morning and would love some experienced opinions--i have 3 legbars and 2 Easter eggers. at least one legbard started laying eggs last week that were small but had fine shells and were laid in the nesting box. This morning I came out and found this weird mess! I know the soft egg means they need more calcium and/or the chicken is still immature, and maybe the tiny soft egg means the chicken need more calcium and/or are just getting started laying--- but what in the world is up with the brown dirt looking stuff that is spread all over??? I have no idea what to think of this? These pics are from under their roost bar and a close up of the bigger soft egg.

 

[nuthatched]

Look's like someone has reproduction issues. Or it could be some kinks in the new layers systems

 

[RussellOR]

Look's like someone has reproduction issues. Or it could be some kinks in the new layers systems

I'm just sooo confused and alarmed about the brown dirty looking stuff that looks like it was sprayed all over-- is it poop or what?!? I'm trying to find anything similar posted by anyone anywhere but don't know what I'm looking at here

 

[Tonyroo]

The dark area looks like one of the chickens ruffled it's feathers from a previous dirt bath.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The dark area looks like one of the chickens ruffled it's feathers from a previous dirt bath.

x2. There's an entire round-ish "patch" of dirt on top of the bedding near that egg. My guess is one of your birds carted that dirt in and shook it off on the floor.

 

[Tonyroo]

I had one of my hens run down to the coop, she thought I had a treat for her, when she realized I didn't. She shook the dirt off of her in front of me, there was so much dirt, pebbles, and dust flying all over me. They definitely can carry a lot of dirt with them.

 

[RussellOR]

Thanks a bunch y'all. That thought finally occurred to me after racking my brain yesterday. Fingers crossed some added oyster shells will help resolve our issue.

 

[K0k0shka]

I get fine brown stuff stuck to some of my eggs, too. I have exceptionally fluffy English Orpingtons that always have stuff caught in their butt fluff, especially the fine, dark brown peat moss that they have in their dust bath. When a new egg is laid, the bloom is still damp, so the fine particles can get glued to the surface as they stick to the damp bloom and then dry.

 

[Ebony Rose]

A Rubbermaid type tote large enough to accommodate three chickens filled with construction grade sand makes for a very satisfying and often less messy bath for your flock. Your birds will still use the powdery dirt when they need to, but the grit of the sand helps them to shed external parasites, dead skin and old feathers. I specified construction grade sand because chickens will also consume some of the sand as grit and this type of sand is very inexpensive, contains no dye, contains no chemicals to bleach nor cleanse the sand making this the perfect type of sand for this purpose.

 

[K0k0shka]

A Rubbermaid type tote large enough to accommodate three chickens filled with construction grade sand makes for a very satisfying and often less messy bath for your flock. Your birds will still use the powdery dirt when they need to, but the grit of the sand helps them to shed external parasites, dead skin and old feathers. I specified construction grade sand because chickens will also consume some of the sand as grit and this type of sand is very inexpensive, contains no dye, contains no chemicals to bleach nor cleanse the sand making this the perfect type of sand for this purpose.

The tricky part is getting them to use it though. My chickens refuse to dust bathe in any kind of sand. They'd rather dust bathe in wood chips