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

[emmat]

Hello everyone

 

I asked for help earlier in the week with my very noisy lady who has been creating a right racket and laying broken or teeny weeny eggs.

 

Well she's still at it - yet now they are all yolkless.

 

She's making her laying very well known to the whole neighbourhood and produced yolkless eggs for 3 days now - some broken and some not - but very very small.

 

She's still eating and drinking and free ranging ok.

 

Any ideas why she might have suddenly developed problems? She's coming up for 3 by the way and is an Omlet gingernut. Only other issue is she's been eating her own feathers for a few months but is having high protein and greens diet to help.

 

Any advice appreciated

 

Emma x

[Olly]

Sorry to say that I think it's probably an age-related thing, at 3 years old she is likely to be reaching the 'hennopause', in other words her egg-laying tackle is pretty much near the end of its working life. The chances are that she will lay only occasionally, and that you will get odd-shaped or sometimes yolkless eggs (these are called 'wind' eggs, by the way).

[emmat]

Really? Wow I had no idea they stopped laying so young. Bless her, hopefully it's not causing her any distress, though from the amount of noise she's making she knows something is up!

 

Thanks for the reply

[Olly]

Well she might just be having a temporary blip ... but bear in mind that commercial henkeepers get rid of their birds at about 1 year old, because they can't be relied on to lay regularly any more, so 3 years old is quite good going.

 

Has your lady moulted recently? that could cause her to go off lay for a bit, so it might just be a temporary break in production.

[emmat]

Hey again

 

No she hasn't moulted for ages, in fact I only recall her doing it around 1 year old so perhaps that's what's up.

 

If not, I'll let her hang up her egg laying duties and take on the roll of wise old mama chicken. Just hope she doesn't continue to create a complete racket at 7am every day! The neighbours won't like us.

 

Mind you, with a new baby due in 4 weeks we're not going to be popular so may as well get it all over in one go!

 

Thanks for your help. x

[GGLGirls]

My 6mth Gingernut ranger recently stopped laying for 3 days (put down to a moult) and then finally squeezed out a rather small 20g egg - which was yolk-less.

OH thought there'd be a market for them for making meringues.........

[BocBoc]

Yolkless eggs sound perfect for me - I hate egg yolk!!!

[Valkyrie]

I agree - no need to try and separate the whites for meringues! There's always a bright side somewhere.