I have a six month old EE who has been laying for two weeks had has laid fewer than one dozen eggs. Up to now, she's had no problems, eggs don't seem very big, shells nice and hard. However, she likes to lay in the weeds at the side of the house and I've kept her in so she'll lay in the nest box which she has on occasion, but seems to "wait" until she can go in the weeds.
This morning I let them out and about two hours ago, she sang the egg song in the weeds where I had bricks in the hollow she usually lays in. When I went out the door she came running around the corner. I grabbed her and put her in the hen house and closed the door. After a while when I noticed her in the nest box I reopened the hen house door and she stayed in there for a while then came out. No egg. She went back to the side of the house; I had removed the bricks thinking that it's more important for her to lay than where she lays, where she huddled down; no egg. I got some feed mixed it in warm water and put in bowls, she came over and ate some, but was walking around the house grumbling later. I picked her up and tried to examine her vent and feel around it, but while I felt a "lump" I'm not sure that it's an egg or some pelvic bone of sorts. There is no lump on her belly; or wasn't when I felt a little over an hour ago. I put her back in the hen house, closed the door and she's been sitting on the nest for over an hour now and doesn't seem to be laying. She layed yesterday about 9:30 am and it is now 11:30 here.
Is she egg bound? Should I give her the warm bath or just let her do what she does? She doesn't seem in discomfort or distress; her tails not droopy but I don't want it to get too bad.
Thanks in advance and I'm sorry if I should have put this in the Egg Laying thread.
Mary
This morning I let them out and about two hours ago, she sang the egg song in the weeds where I had bricks in the hollow she usually lays in. When I went out the door she came running around the corner. I grabbed her and put her in the hen house and closed the door. After a while when I noticed her in the nest box I reopened the hen house door and she stayed in there for a while then came out. No egg. She went back to the side of the house; I had removed the bricks thinking that it's more important for her to lay than where she lays, where she huddled down; no egg. I got some feed mixed it in warm water and put in bowls, she came over and ate some, but was walking around the house grumbling later. I picked her up and tried to examine her vent and feel around it, but while I felt a "lump" I'm not sure that it's an egg or some pelvic bone of sorts. There is no lump on her belly; or wasn't when I felt a little over an hour ago. I put her back in the hen house, closed the door and she's been sitting on the nest for over an hour now and doesn't seem to be laying. She layed yesterday about 9:30 am and it is now 11:30 here.
Is she egg bound? Should I give her the warm bath or just let her do what she does? She doesn't seem in discomfort or distress; her tails not droopy but I don't want it to get too bad.
Thanks in advance and I'm sorry if I should have put this in the Egg Laying thread.
Mary
