2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[caron]

Hi - I am new to this but been keeping hens for about 1 year. Hens inherited from in-laws who moved to a house with smaller garden - the girls are quite old now.

 

We lost one last year and had very poor support from vet - she could have been saved I think. So wanting to make sure that we get it right this time.

 

Anyway reason for post - the girls egg laying started up agin about three weeks ago after a slow down for the winter. We initially got an egg a piece (4) and then have slowed to 3 a day. I have noticed on a few occasions sticky wet mess round the eggs and occasionally the odd bit of shell. I thought there might have been some egg eating but couldn't find sufficient evidence and the rest of the eggs were in tact. Found a hideous soft shell blob that looked like a bit of intestine last week and so included some more shell for them.

 

However whilst cleaning them out yesterday one of the girls squatted and laid a totally shell-less egg. This explains some of the stickiness and I think it's been going on a while. she doens't seem off colour or off food. Although she did look a little uncomfortable just before laying.

 

The girls have a mixture of layers pellets, corn (mixed) and left overs. I also let them out to forage in the wooded area behind my house so they probably have bugs, grubs and worms ina reasonable quantiy - not to mention the "grazing" on young shoots.

 

I shall try the cod-liver oil and other suggestions I've found on here but wondered if it might just be her age - they are all old girls. Is this something which will stay? Happy to give supplement etc but don't want to tip the others the other way by increasing vit D etc and resulting in an OD!

 

Any suggestions?

 

I have found the info on here very helpful by the way - thanks for the site!

 

Caron

[Christian]

Hello Caron and welcome to the forum.

 

I would feed them just pellets fro a while and withhold the corn and treats. The pellets contain everything they need to stay healthy.

 

Adding limestone flour to the pellets will give them added calcium and adding cod liver oil helps this to be absorbed more easily.

 

Sometimes if they have lice, it can affect their egg laying, so give them all a thorough check around the vent, under the wings etc, just to be sure.

[Hen Watch]

I was thinking the same as Christian.

 

Dusting for lice/mites.

Worm them.

Try a calcium suppliement - I've used Limestone Flour in feed (from equestrian shop) but others have also used Zocal D in water.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Caron . I've been getting lots of softies recently so have been giving them Zolcal D (they were getting limestone flour but it didn't seem to help ). It's early days but we've not had a softie for 2 days and have had some hard eggs over the last few days too so fingers crossed. Sounds like you're doing the right things - hope things improve soon for you!

[atsw]

Our old girl, Fifi, is now 4 years old and only ever lays eggs with no shell these days. Her last 'real' egg was towards the end of Summer last year. She had a big moult which stopped egg production completely and since she re-started in Feb/March this year she's only ever managed the inside bits of an egg .

 

Sometimes we get a very soft, almost rubbery, thin shell, but usually nothing to speak of. This does result in a sticky mess in the nest box, which glues all the straw together. Our two new girls wont lay on soggy straw, so if Fifi messes up the nest box, we end up with eggs from the other two laid on the Eglu bars .

 

Andrew