What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[midori]

We have been away for a few days and my son was looking after our hens. (under supervision!) He kept all the eggs, and one was this:

 

 

 

I am not sure which hen it came from, but it is the only egg like it. I wondered if it came from my Welsummer, due to the dark colour at the end? If so, she is a year old, in her first year laying and it would be her first egg since we got her two weeks ago. The odd coloured part is kind of hard/calcified, but I am not sure if it was like that when laid or had 'dried out' by the time we saw it. Does anyone know what caused this?

 

Also, we have had our first blue eggs. 40g and 42g. I am not sure if they were from our Araucana (who was POL when we got her last Monday) or our CL (who is a year old). I thought the CL eggs would be bigger though? Also, the shell is blue inside, so does that mean they are from the Araucana as would the CL eggs be white inside? Thankyou!

 

I am also getting softies, I've written about that in my post further down and changed the thread title.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Guest

[coco]

If its any help I have a Silkie cross CLB who lays blue eggs. The shell is blue all the way though and they are about 42g.

[midori]

Thankyou. I caught the CL laying today, so they were her eggs.

 

I am still not sure about the other egg, and have also been getting softies from my Bluebelle, she's definitely laid one today, maybe two, unless the second was from a different hen, but I don't think it was. The Bluebelle has only been laying about a week or so, and has laid one 'good' egg I think.

 

The eggs we do get are fine, decent shells, no problems etc. However, now I'm worried I am doing something wrong. I feed Dodsen and Horrel layers pellets, always available and in the house, plus two bowls in the garden. I am quite strict about treats, but they do get a handful of corn or mealworms between them each day, occasionally both. Three lots of water available on the lawn too. I also give 'porridge' most nights made from their layers pellets and water with a teaspoonful of poultry spice in it. They free range our garden from 6-7am until they go in, about 10pm at the moment.

 

Should I be worried? Am I doing something wrong?

[Tutti Frutti]

Do you have grit and oyster shell available?

 

It might just be that your girls are just getting into the swing of laying...?

[midori]

Thanks. Yes, I do have a bowl of mixed grit and oyster shell (50/50) that I put out each day for them.

 

I did think it might just be the young girls getting started, but wondered after how long I should consider it a problem? Plus, I am a new and paranoid chicken Mummy. The bluebelle is a bit smaller (and has always been) compared to my other two pullets, and her comb is a little floppy, but it's red and she seems well in herself and is eating/drinking as much as the others.