4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[petastanley]

Hi there, I'm new to this site and to chicken keeping. I have 3 chickens acquired in mid October. 1 started laying after 7 weeks (Chuffa), no problems, but egg production is rather hit and miss but expected that due to time of year. One chicken (Beryl) not laying at all yet and the 3rd one was laying regularly, but sometimes extremely large double yoked eggs (twice the size of normal eggs). Now egg production is zero, apart from squishy broken eggs . She sometimes looks poorly for an hour or so before laying a squishy egg. They are not keen on their Omlet pellets, but not sure what else to feed them. They have corn, mealworms and sometimes pasta in the afternoons and they have full free range of my garden during the day and are very active.

Any advice for my poorly chicken, Aggie?

[moochoo]

Hi and welcome to the forum. As your girls are new to the laying game it will take them a while to settle into it with soft shelled eggs and double yolkers being common.

Make sure they get chance to eat their pellets by leaving them in their run for a few hours in the morning, make sure they have access to grit and try and cut back on the treats. Chickens are smart will leave room if they regularly get more preferable food. Their pellets contain all the nutients they need to lay good hard shelled eggs.

I always find I get bigger eggs and more eggs laid if my girls have been confined to the run. So lay of the treats for a few days and see if matters improve.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Hi Peta, welcome to the forum .

 

I've been having the same problem with one of my girls.

 

I've been trying to give them limestone flour and also cod liver oil and I think that's really helped as we've been getting normal eggs again. I've not been very consistent up to now (and had a couple of softies) but intend to make sure they get some every day from now on.

 

So try some limestone flour and cod liver oil and ensure there's enough grit (esp. the oystershell) and see if that makes a difference.

 

(I usually mix it with the corn - that way I know they'll eat it all.)

 

Hope that helps!