What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

I guess I'm being a rather neurotic chicken keeper, but i'd be grateful for a little advice. After a lovely egg in the nest on Thursday, yesterday at about 8.30pm one of the chooks (we did not see who - you can not see the garden from our lounge windows) laid a small egg with an incomplete papery shell (yolk and albumen perfect inside) in the middle of the run. As soon as we saw it (within 5 mins of it being laid, I think) we removed the egg so no-one got peckish and started nibbling.

 

Will the chook who laid the egg be OK? Is it just as they are starting out? To make matters worse, we are off on holiday for a few days tomorrow, so the chooks are off to stay with friends today (so they can try out having an eglu in their garden) - they have kept chickens before. I feel rather like I'm abandonning the girls, especially if one is in anyway off colour. Do you think it is OK to leave them? Should I do anything for them? Do they need anything?

 

Sorry to be over anxious

 

Thanks,

 

Jan

[Christian]

Jan, thye will be fine!

 

Ours laid some weird things for the first couple of weeks, its just them getting into the swing of laying. You could always bake and grind up some egg shells to add to their food, to give them extra calcium. I would bother for the 1st few weeks though.

 

Enjoy your holiday!

[kannie]

This is quite normal for a new layer, Jan - don't worry! You'll come home to find her in full swing!

[thackers]

Jan,

 

We are having similar problems with our new layers - some days we get nice firm eggs and other days weird shell-less or soft-shelled eggs. I have been advised that this is nothing to worry about since both our hens are novice egg producers - but I understand your neurosis! In two weeks we have had only 7 proper eggs and a host of 'wind and witches' eggs - I keep fretting that we have two beautiful but duff hens.

 

Still we love having them and even if they don't produce many eggs, those they do produce are very tasty.

 

All the best

[Egluntyne]

What are you both feeding them on?

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

Mine get layers pellets (organic ones supplied by Omlet) and very little else bar what they find in the grass in the run or foraging - a few grapes or other fruit/veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s or sunflower seeds some evenings.

I have not been offering many treats at all in case it put them off laying. I guess I am just a mean mummy.

 

Jan

[Egluntyne]

Perhaps a bit of mixed poultry grit might help.

[Christian]

Jan, my avian vet advised against feeding sunflower seeds as they stop the absorbtion of calcium. Shame as I have 2 1/2 kilo bags!

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

I'll do this, thanks. And maybe give them a few more treats as well. I did 'reward' both eggs with lots of grapes and petting.

 

Jan

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

Sorry Christian, I must have cross-posted with you. I'll cut out the sunflower seeds, too. They have only had about a handful so far. Typical I've picked the wrong thing More grapes, girls!

 

Jan

[Christian]

Me too Jan!

 

Thought I did really well in Julian Graves shop when I bought buy one get one free!!!

 

Oh Well, more sunflower bread anyone???