Solitary chicken - need advice

[Ange1]

Looks like our Crested/Columbine has started laying.

 

4 eggs so far, first one was a softie and we found it in the run this morning.

 

Decided to check the roosting bars and found another 3

 

1 more softie and 2 hard teenies all broken, fallen through the bars!

 

They are very pale cream but not blue/green, she's the only other hen crouching so we think it must be her, her wattles/comb would confirm this.

 

2 questions:

 

1. Carmen's jsut starting laying, 1st week and 2 out of the 4 eggs have been softies should we worry?

 

2. How do you tell Carmen to lay them in the nest box?!

 

I wonder wether they are getting trodden on and then fall between the roosting bars?

 

I had to shout at Margot when she took a fancy to the softie in the run just as we were trying to remove it.

 

Thanks

[moochoo]

Don't worry, it takes a while for their laying tackle to settle. It won't be long before she's laying consistant hard eggs. i think the soft ones must feel more like a poo than an egg and that's why they're rarely produced in the nestbox. A fully hard egg will feel differently and she'll go to the nest to lay it.

One of my cresteds took ages to settle into her egg tackle and now she's popping 'em out every day.

[Ange1]

Thanks Sarah.

 

What colour do your Crested lay?

 

Did your Crested lay blue/green eggs from the begining?

 

Am I hoping too much to expect Carmen to eventually lay blue/green eggs?!

 

Have to say though, that two small hard eggs were found in the poo tray, fallen through bars, not just softies so I hope that Carmen will get the idea soon?

 

There's even a fake rubber egg in teh nest box!

[Phosphorus]

Both my black rock and white star started laying small eggs and then would lay softies for a few days followed by decent shelled eggs. Roast (the black rock) settled after a few weeks and is now a regular layer - Alice the white star has produced normal eggs for 3 days in a row now after weeks of nothing or softies. Hoping that is it now and she has sorted herself out.

 

 

It does take some hens a while to get used to it all. The previous poster was right, they don't always know when the softies are coming so they get laid whenever and wherever - she will use the nesting box when it is a fully shelled egg

 

Oh and I got loads overnight in the nesting box - such that I became paranoid about cleaning out the trays in the mornings All pretty much stopped now.

[moochoo]

Both of my cresteds lay green eggs. However, Daisy has laid a few pale cream ones at the beginning. Have a look Carmen's earlobes, if they look greeny/blue you may be in luck.

[Ange1]

Shuck Sarah, Carmen's lobes look white!