why are my chickens laying twice a day

[chickens123432]

I have a blue andulusian and a silver lakenvelder and one of them seems to be laying twice a day. They get layer food and scratch grains and oystershells. I am getting 3eggs a day from only 2 chickens that aren't supposed to be "layers". DO you know why this is happening?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have seen that happen but not consistently.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are any family members or neighbors known to be practical jokers?

Some hens so release more than one yolk in a day. If they are released at the same time that can mean a double yolked egg. If they are released at separate times, it can mean two different eggs in one day. The hen’s body should be set up to produce only certain amounts of some things that go in or on the eggs. Often the second egg is pretty thin shelled or even soft shelled because the hen’s body doesn’t make enough shell material for two eggs, though some do. Sometimes the egg can be a lighter color because she might not make enough pigment to color two eggs.

If this happens on a rare occasion, it’s not a big deal. If it happens on a regular basis, it signals something may not be right with her internal egg making factory. One thing that can help trigger an extra yolk release is a high protein diet. If you are really high on the protein, you might consider cutting back just a bit. But I’d consider a potential practical joker a lot harder, especially if the eggs are perfect.

 

[RonP]

Yup...I probably wasted dozens of eggs over the years playing with unsuspecting minds.

My daughter once brought an egg to school that her pet rabbit laid....I had to handle the call from the preschool teacher, ...who was not so amused...

 

[MapleBacon56]

My sillie bantam mix is laying 2 eggs every day and both are in top shape, and there isn't anyone who could/would be playing a prank, she also never really leaves her coop, what might be wrong with her?

 

[CatLoverLu]

Welcome to BYC!! I'm not sure about your hen, but here are some people that could help. @Ridgerunner @Lacy Duckwing

 

[Kiki]

My sillie bantam mix is laying 2 eggs every day and both are in top shape, and there isn't anyone who could/would be playing a prank, she also never really leaves her coop, what might be wrong with her?

How many birds are in this coop?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

On a production hen, with 24/7 light, their cycle gets messed up. Thus, they sometimes lay more than one egg in a 24 hour period. Such as, one in the morning and one at night. If this is the case, remove artificial lighting and replace with natural. Not only will it straighten out your hen, but it'll also be healthier for both hens. The 24/7 lighting can be dangerous for the hens' overall health.

Is one of the eggs soft-shelled? In rare cases (I had it happen with my Blue Andalusian mix) a hen will lay two eggs at one time. One hard-shelled, one soft-shelled. In this case, it's a double yoker, but in two eggs instead of one. Again, this is very rare. Though if happening, try giving your hen oyster shells and keep track of your hen for any health issues relating to egg production.

On another note.... Are you sure that there's no other hens getting in? Such as, your hens are free ranging and a neighbor's hen is laying in your nesting box. Perhaps, you should quarantine both hens to find the extra egg layer. Maybe you could put a camera in your coop to see if another hen is laying in there, or if someone is actually playing a trick on you.