Yellow Discharge in Egg Box

[newbiechickenlady20]

I went to collect the eggs this morning and there was this yellow discharge on the wood chips in the egg box. It is also on one of the eggs so I'm assuming it was from one of the hens specifically. I cleaned it out, but I'm unsure as to what it could be. Our hens are not laying as often as they should either, I'm not sure if this is related. None of them seem to be sick or in any distress. We've been trying giving them more food because I was afraid maybe they aren't weren't eating enough and that was causing them not to lay. Any help is appreciated, we're still very new to this!

 

[newbiechickenlady20]

Anybody know? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

You might have a hen who is breaking or pecking a thin shelled egg and eating it before she lays her egg. I had a hen who survived a dog attack, and all of her eggs were suddenly thin shelled or shell-less from the time that she resumed laying. The other hens would wait for her to lay knowing they would get the egg. She eventually learned that she could get the egg first. Some hens will develop an egg eating problem. I would visit the nest boxes often for a few days to see what is going on. A video camera would also capture any shenanigans.

 

[newbiechickenlady20]

You might have a hen who is breaking or pecking a thin shelled egg and eating it before she lays her egg. I had a hen who survived a dog attack, and all of her eggs were suddenly thin shelled or shell-less from the time that she resumed laying. The other hens would wait for her to lay knowing they would get the egg. She eventually learned that she could get the egg first. Some hens will develop an egg eating problem. I would visit the nest boxes often for a few days to see what is going on. A video camera would also capture any shenanigans.

Hmmm that wouldn't be good..any idea why the hens aren't laying as well? I know that's a super broad thing with many possibilities. They have plenty of space to free range, they get fed every day, fresh water, etc. We currently have 3 hens of laying age, but we're consistently getting 1-2 eggs a day. We've never gotten 3, and they're Rhode Island Reds so they should be laying 5 to 6 days a week so I'd think there should have been some overlap by now? We used to consistently get 2 a day, with the occasional 1. But now it's 1, possibly 2

 

[Eggcessive]

How old are your hens, and have any started molting this year? They usually start their first molt around 16-18 months and once a year thereafter. There are various reasons for hens to stop laying, including molt, during the low daylight hours in winter, and some may not lay as well during very hot weather. Are you giving them a layer type feed and supplementing calcium with crushed oyster shell in a separate container?

Although some breeds of hens are bred to lay every day and some may lay 2-3 days a week, they don’t always follow the rules. I have had a couple of hens who never laid an egg, or who laid very few eggs. Reproductive issues are common. Respiratory diseases, especially infectious bronchitis early in life may affect laying. I would spend a day off, cleaning out the coop and watch which ones are going in to lay. You could have one that is laying thin shelled or shell-less eggs that are getting eaten before you find them.

 

[newbiechickenlady20]

How old are your hens, and have any started molting this year? They usually start their first molt around 16-18 months and once a year thereafter. There are various reasons for hens to stop laying, including molt, during the low daylight hours in winter, and some may not lay as well during very hot weather. Are you giving them a layer type feed and supplementing calcium with crushed oyster shell in a separate container?

Although some breeds of hens are bred to lay every day and some may lay 2-3 days a week, they don’t always follow the rules. I have had a couple of hens who never laid an egg, or who laid very few eggs. Reproductive issues are common. Respiratory diseases, especially infectious bronchitis early in life may affect laying. I would spend a day off, cleaning out the coop and watch which ones are going in to lay. You could have one that is laying thin shelled or shell-less eggs that are getting eaten before you find them.

Hmm. Our previous good layers are in the 16-18 month age range (2 of the hens) but I haven't noticed them looking any different. We do the laying feed and supplement calcium with baked and crushed up egg shells. Is that sufficient? Would lack of calcium cause them not to lay maybe?

Unfortunately with a toddler and morning sickness, I'm not the coop cleaner currently and don't have the energy for it :/ I'll try to visit the egg box more often, though.

If eggs are being eaten, would there be any signs of this other than fewer eggs?

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[pibb]

Daylight hours are getting less in the northern hemisphere. I have no ideal where you are located. May be fixing to molt or mini molt. I have a couple new layers that might lay or not lay starting within the past week. They all look the same with red combs, can't tell who isn't laying right now. If you see feather shafts when cleaning the morning poo that is a mini molt.

If there is a lack of calcium you would have soft shelled eggs or just the membranes. Your pic shows a good egg shell so unlikely it's a calcium deficiency.

If the egg is cracking open when they lay it, put some more bedding material down so the egg doesn't crack.

 

[Eggcessive]

The oyster shell and egg shells plus layer feed are usually enough to make the shells hard. Sometimes there is an oviduct issue with the shell gland which can cause soft eggs. I like to have multiple breeds who have different color egg shells, which makes it a lot easier to tell who is laying and who is not. A gamecam in the coop can make it easy to spy on them, and see who is laying and who is not, plus see if any are pecking eggs.

 

[newbiechickenlady20]

I've been checking the egg box more. Only one egg yesterday and I think it was from a new layer because it wasn't even near the egg box and was smaller than usual. Like a new laying kind of small.

But one of my hens is in the egg box now, and there's probably 4 other hens just near her or right up in her face. No aggression, just there. Could this be a sign her eggs are soft shell and they're all waiting to eat it? I've never kept that close of an eye on when they lay, so I don't know if it's normal for hens to "hang out" while one is laying.

 

[Eggcessive]

I had a hen who laid a shell-less egg every day and the others learned that she was going to do that each day, so they waited. But I have had hens who just have liked to hang around as well.