Warm boot recommendations please

[Tilly Bud]

Hi everyone !

 

I have had my two lovely chickens since July and they started to lay only 2 weeks after i got them. They've laid consistantly for the last 3 months and a couple of weeks ago, we had a week where they laid the hugest eggs i have ever seen! They were like goose eggs!

 

However, for the last two weeks, Gloria's eggs have been consistant and average sized, but Betty has been laying very tiny, sometimes misshapen eggs, and there's always a soft egg there too. So i've been collecting roughly 3 eggs a day - an average one, a tiny one and a soft one .

 

I don't know why this is suddenly happening. I changed thier food about a month ago. I mixed it with the old one at first until the old one ran out, then they went onto just the new food. But they laid the huge eggs on the new food, so i can't see how that could be the problem.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks,

 

Tilly Bud xx

[stoice]

Have they been wormed? Try Flubenvet for 7 days, there's no egg withdrawal either. You don't mention how old they are so unsure if it's the henopause or a blip with them new to laying. Maybe put some limestone flour in their feed or Davinova C in their water - that will help with the softie problem. Some cod liver oil and poultry spice every now again won't go amiss either. I trust they have access to grit and oyster shell ad lib? Maybe they are freeranging too much or having too many treats. You could try restricting them to just pellets and water for a few days to see if you notice a change. Lastly this could be the winter months having an effect on their laying. If they are pure breeds then they may stop over winter.

 

Hope this helps

 

(Edited for spelling )

[Tilly Bud]

Thanks very much!

 

They do have oyster shells in their food, but they do also free range an awful lot. They get spoilt with some treats, but not until after 4pm. I think i'm going to try them on the strict diet for a while. They haven't been wormed by me, but i only got them from Omlet 3 months ago and they were only 18 weeks old when i got them.

 

Thanks again for your help though!

[FORENSICA]

I understand your frustration. We had about 6 days of constant soft eggs from Erika. I limited treats, free ranging after the first softie but am not sure if that was the trick. I reckon that it is just a little mistake on the production line side

Do not worry, it will go away

[hanson]

I've had a few soft eggs for the first time this week also. I've only been getting one egg a day. It's the first time this has happened since they have both been consistently laying from July. I don't know whether its an adjustment to the shorter days?

 

They always have their grit available but I've wormed them as a precaution and will wait and see how they get on!

 

Try to make some small adjustments and monitor them carefully. Do they appear well otherwise?

[Hen Watch]

I echo what Stoice has said.

 

The occasional softie I ignore. But if I get frequent ones and I give Limestone Flour in their feed (buy a 3kg tub for about £6 from an Equestrian supply shop). This will get extra calcium into them.

 

My chooks have a permanent pot of Mixed Poultry Grit in their run (that's grit with soluable shell mixed in - the shell gives calcium).

 

I also ensure mine are wormed routinely every 4 months and I personally prefer to use Flubenvet (which you can buy online).

[MedusA]

Softies usually mean they are not getting enough calcium in their diet. You could also try adding some limestone flour to their feed. Most horsey suppliers sell it. I add about a tablespoonful to each grub when I fill it. Any left at the bottom of the grub gets added in to their porridge mix, so I know they've had it.

 

Hope they start laying normally again soon. *hugs*