the vicars wife Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Hi, I've had my two for nearly a year now. My gingernut is a great layer and lays nearly every day and my miss pepperpot has phases (4-6 weeks) of laying then just sits on the nest, doesn't eat or drink much and gets a bit thin. I've always assumed she was just broody, but after trawling the forum I'm not so sure. She sits on the nest but doesn't growl or get angry if I try to pick her up (I've taken to picking her up and putting her in the run and shutting the eglu door to try to encourage her to eat and drink). She looks healthy with bright eyes and glossy feathers but as I said, she does seem to have lost some weight. I also found the nest damp today with bits of broken shell in the bedding- the first broken egg I've ever had and I fear she may be eating the eggs without me realising. Do I have a problem? I really don't know what to do as my hens have been pretty self sufficient, healthy and happy. I feed them layers pellets with some corn and greens every two or three days and occasional cooked peels and veg. They do spent a lot of time in the run- but range the garden a few hours a week (not as much as I would like but I'm trying to grow a new edible bed from seed and they keep destroying it so I want to let it establish a bit more before they free range in it). Are they perhaps just bored? thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 do they have access to mixed grit as the broken one could be a thin shelled one they and softies do take a lot out of a bird thats laying them. some of my older girls do go through bouts of pretend laying they sit in the nest box for hours the come out telling the world how clever they are for laying and egg but no egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I think it is a softie..One of my Miss pepperpot had a bout of this.Until it is passed it can make them feel quite poorly.I am not an expert but mine was sorted with limestone flour sprinkled on their food or bake egg shells for a few minutes and grind them up and sprinkle them on their food. She probably needs more calcium.I doubt if she is eating them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the vicars wife Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 thanks for that. I let them out for a spell today and they both seemed happy and perky. hopefully it's just a one-off- sounds like a softie. i'll bake up some egg shells and put it into the food and hope for the best! at least i've got lots of eggshells from the gingernut... is it other people's experience that gingernut rangers are better layers than miss pepperpots- or is it just that my Annabelle happens to be a better layer than Miss Speedwell? would be good to know for the next round of hens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
