Single hen

[Forge Cottage]

Should I be worried, or is this just a normal 'rest' from laying?

 

Mabel has been laying flat out virtually every day since she started... though hers are always a longer, narrower egg than her sister - and the shell often pale in colour just at the pointy end. I suppose this just reflects her internal character!

 

Then from normal light brown eggs a few days ago, we have had: all pale egg, pale egg, no egg, softee squiggle (no yolk, not full rounded shape), no egg, and no egg again today. She did go in as if to lay this morning at her normal time - but came out 10 mins later walking very slowly at first.

 

Other than that, she seems quite normal... Not hunched or withdrawn as I might expect if she was suffering. She was even the first to jump up and grab a grape when I was putting the pellets out this morning! No lice or sign of worms, poo normal and vent seems clear - as far as I can see (without alarming both of us!) .

 

They have pellets and water, access to grit, kept in a good size pen and a good handful of corn between them before bed each eve. Maybe a red herring, but I did find eaten Rhubarb shoots that had started to come up in the run. Also, they have been in a shady corner since Jan.

 

Any ideas, or should we just count ourselves lucky we have had so many eggs??

[Daphne]

I don't know if this has any impact on the egg laying but there seems to be a bit of a debate about whether rhubarb leaves are poisonous to chickens (they definitely are to humans) but if it was me, I would remove the plant from the run. I know ours have eaten the leaves in the past and lived to tell the tale, but I have firmly netted the plants off now, I wouldn't want to take the risk.

 

How long has your girl been laying - did she have a moult break in autumn?

[Egluntyne]

Might be worth adding a dollop of codliver oil to her pellets...the vit D3 it contains will help with calcium matabolism, ot you could try a soluble calcium suplement for a few days, such as Zolcal D or Davinova C.....or even good old limestone flour.

[Forge Cottage]

Thanks for the comments. Quick reply - just off home now, so I will see how she is!

 

Mabel started laying in mid November, with no break yet.

 

I had been thinking of getting Cod Liver Oil... but yes, removing poison plants might be a good idea too!

[Forge Cottage]

Well I am pleased to say this morning Mabel laid a very long but otherwise healthy looking egg...!

 

She laid at the same time as the other girls, so here is a comparison photo... Guess which one is Mabel's photo?!

 

[Daphne]

thats nice to see! All perfectly edible despite the shape. Just keep an eye on her and see how she goes, her insides look like they've still got a little sorting out to do. I have one girl who lays torpedoes - she's on her 3rd laying seaon now so I don't worry about it

[Forge Cottage]

Thanks - esp to Egluntine re the Cod Liver Oil advice. Not sure how much to sprinkle on? They share a grub bowl, so they will all get some, but I guess that will be good for them anyway.

 

I will keep an eye on her...

[Egluntyne]

I am very precise and scientific and administer an exact and carefully measured dollop.

 

I reckon it is about a desertspoonful to a full grub of pellets.

[Forge Cottage]

Well, after the torpedo she laid one more egg (back to pale), then stopped again. So no egg for the last 2 days...

 

But now she has turned into a rear-firing water pistol.

 

Every few mins there is a good clear projectile squirt unloaded, with a tiny bit of wet poo in it. She must be feeling dehydrated as she has been drinking much more water too.

 

But she seems quite a cheerful, energetic member of the gang and no sign of any problem otherwise.

 

She must have eaten something to cause this, but I cannot think what. Maybe this is connected with the stop in eggs?