SecretSheep Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Cordelia is a young Bluebelle who has been laying for a couple of months now every morning. 2 days ago she took all morning over laying her egg, then when she emerged, she was quiet and sleepy. She didn't eat or drink much. There was no egg from her yesterday or today, but she has followed her friends slowly around the garden. She has shown a very vague interest in her favourite foods. After a broken egg experience with Portia a few months ago, we are ready with the KY jelly and inspection gloves, which I don't relish...but do you think that it's necessary? There was no missing egg before the one she laid when we first noticed she was poorly 2 days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 She might be laying soft shelled eggs, which will be devoured by her companions. Some info **here**. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretSheep Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 She might be laying soft shelled eggs, which will be devoured by her companions. That seems feasible, as we have had a soft shelled egg from another chicken this week, and one on Christmas morning, when we introduced 2 new chickens. They have had a fair few disruptions over the last couple of weeks, including New Years fireworks. Also, now they are back in the garden after the snow, I suppose that doesn't do their calcium intake much good. I will limit their garden time for the moment. If she is laying soft-shelled eggs, though, isn't she supposed to recover quickly after each one? We did do an examination, but found nothing. I also checked her crop, which seems fine. Her comb, which was always floppy, is floppier than normal, but still red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleBeak Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 One of our ex-batts was looking a little off-colour on Saturday; standing in one place for a while, hunched up, not really interested in anything. Later that day she laid a soft egg so, much the same as you, we thought that was that and expected her to snap out of it. The next day, however, she was much the same and I started to panic that she was egg-bound or something so we brought her in for a while to make sure she ate and drank and in the afternoon she perked up and appears to have laid a normal egg today. She didn't lay anything (that we could find) yesterday so maybe sometimes laying a softie just takes it out of them for a while? Poor dears!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretSheep Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thankyou both for your experience. Today Cordelia is looking a little better. Under her perch this morning was a small amount of eggy substance. What I don't understand is why she started to look unwell, and then laid a perfectly good egg, then continued to look ill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
