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

[claracluck11]

Hi there,

 

My Peggy laid a softie on Monday. I'm new to chickens and panicked so took her to the vet where she was given an antiobiotic injection and a calcium boost.

 

Since then there have been no eggs from her.

 

She is perfectly fine now in herself and shows no signs of being poorly or having another softie on the way.

 

Is it normal for them to take a while to get back laying, or should she have done so by now?

 

Thanks,

Claire

[Space Chick]

As its only Weds today, I wouldn't worry. It can affect them for a few days.

 

Is she a young chicken? As it can take a while for them to get into the swing of laying. One of my girls took a break for a few weeks early on in her laying career

[C&T]

First time Ginger laid a softee, it was a couple of days before she started again.

 

Now, we get an egg the next day.

 

A couple of weeks ago on Day 1 she laid normally, on Day 2 she laid a normal egg in the morning, and then 2 softees in the afternoon. On Day 3 she laid normally again...

 

But then she is daft, and not very good at doing what the chicken books say she should do!!

[claracluck11]

Thanks for your reply.

 

No she's not a young hen, i've only had her 3 weeks but she is around 16 months old. She has always laid good eggs on a regular basis, even after the change of home when I took her.

 

She was fine then until the weekend. She laid on Friday, was poorly Sat and Sun with no eggs, and laid her softie on Monday. But like you say it is only Wednesday so will give her a couple more days before I start worrying again

 

I moved them onto wood chip Thursday night and started adding grit to their food (they have always been on grass) so maybe that disrupted her.

 

Also, the night before that, last Wed, something had been on top of their cage, could see paw prints and their shade cover was ripped. Whatever it was must have given her a fright so maybe that hasn't helped. Her mate Sue is fine though.

 

They do worry me these chickens

[sjp]

it can take a up to a week for mine to get back in the swing of egg laying but mine tend to lay 2 softies a day for 2 or 3 days then take a couple of days off then lays a thin shelled egg

 

I give them lifeguard if one of them lays a couple of sofies for a few days it helps to get them back on track. also they get a slug of cod liver oil in they're feed about twice a week

have they got free access to mixed grit

[claracluck11]

I put the grit in with their food and then threw a handful on the wood chip for them to forage for, thought then it would give them something to do to keep them occupied.

 

She has laid a normal egg today though so think she must be back on track

 

I was going to post a new topic but will ask here first.

 

I was advised by my vet not to eat her eggs cos of the antibiotics she was given, but is it ok to feed the shells back to her.

 

I've heard of people baking and crushing up the egg shells so I assume I can feed them back the shells of her eggs despite the antibiotics she was given?