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

[Ruskie]

For the last few weeks Ginger has been laying very early, pre-6.45 which is when we open the door up. All lovely eggs, but seemingly getting bigger all the time and averaging around 75g now and hardly a missed day in months. Then about 10 days ago we started finding them laid on the roosting bars instead of in the nestbox - but still lovely eggs in size, shape etc. Yesterday we bought a china clay egg and put it in the nestbox thinking it might encourage her back in to lay. But this morning he china egg was on the bars and there was only yolk in the nest under the straw with no sign of any shell though. Is that a coincidence? She's not laid anything other than 'proper' eggs since she started egg laying in May. And she must have pushed the china egg out when she sat in the nest box - was that a sign she was cross/upset and did that then cause the shell-less egg? We won't put it in tonight.

[alet_chicken]

Hi Ruskie, I know it's been a while, but in my experience some of my girls lay on the bars if they can't get in the nestbox. Do you have other girls sleeping in the nestbox?

 

Another possibility is that the egg could have crept up on her in her sleep, hence ending on the bars rather than the nest box. If she has been laying well I wouldn't worry about the occasional softie - I suppose it's possible that she could have eaten the shell (I know my monsters eat their own and their friends' softies!)

[fluffyknickers]

Hi, when were they last wormed? Michelle