Single hen

[loopy]

Hello!!

 

Range of wierd things happening all of a sudden. One of my chikens is moulting - has taken her a few weeks to get some re growth, so have been giving her some tuna in sunflower oil to help top up her protien as she looked a little thinner than usual ( although that could be the lack of feathers - as bald as a tesco chicken on her bum and belly!) Gave her tuna with layers mash and let the others join in once she had had a load, and then they all settled down to preen themsleves and have a nap together in the run - this was about 1pm! Was very suprised. Looked very cute I have to admit, but thought it stange that they have a gobble of tuna and mash - as they have done a few times recently - and then they nap, settle down and try to litteraly get some shut eye!

 

We've also had a couple of soft shell eggs, 2 in the last month or so - although we do have a dish full of grit for my chuckies. While my ladies were settling to nap I noticed one of thm eat another feather - not pluck it, just pick it up off the floor and eat it! Poss a lack of protien? But after the tuna??

 

More seriously we've had three eggs in as many weeks that have been punctured by a beak. the first time thought it was an accident, second time became suspicious and today the third one. Never eaten up, just one beak hole. Showed the egg to the chickens to spot the cultrip - most had a look decided it wasn't corn so bimbled off. However, Mrs beans went mad for it! Chased me round the garden till I put it in the bin - Mrs Beans is the moulting chicken.

 

Could all of these things be linked? Is there anything I can do to stop the egg pecking? Any advice on any of the wierd happenings very gratefully recieved!!

[loopy]

maybe I'm being paranoid, but now one of my other chickens is out of sorts. She's usually into everything - very nosey and first there, but this afternoon, she just keeps standing still for ages, has little interest in food - although she does occasionally peck around ( and was eating just fine this am) her tail is down, and she just seems lathargic and 'dopey'

 

hope I'm just being a real old mother hen and worrying over nothing!!

 

Does this sound like anything I should worry about??

[Egluntyne]

A couple of soft shelled eggs now and then is nothing to worry about really.....unless it increases.

 

Feather eating....they often snack on the odd feather which is ling about. Only a problem if they start pulling them out of their companions.

 

Re the egg eating, why not either put some ceramic eggs in the nest o so that they hurt their beaks when they peck them , and learn to leave them alone, or blow the contents out of a couple of eggs and fill with mustard,( easier said than dne) a so that they get a nasty surprise.

 

I read recently that egg eating is more of a problem if the nest box is too light, so maybe you could darken it in some way.

[loopy]

thanks!! I know I'm probably being paranoid, but we've only had the ladies a few months, and sadly lost two in the first month or so

 

On Easter hols at the moment, so spent this morning sitting by the coop grabbing eggs as they were being layed to try and take away temptation. Have just put a rubber egg in the box to hopefully fool Mrs Beans and put her off.

 

As for the rest - happily mooching around now, although no egg from Sausages yet (she's the one that went a bit peeky and dopy yesterday afternoon.) although she does seem back to her usual self.

 

Had great fun watching them all fro about an hour this morning, preening, eating and stretching (VERY cute!)

 

thanks for advice, will keep an eye on them ,and try not to be such an old mother hen around them!!