2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Jenthelibrarian]

My 'brown hybrid hen' Josephine is not her ususal happy, busy self.

 

She came out of the run this morning but was walking slowly and instead of scratching about under the garden shrubs she stood around, looking unhappy. She took a couple of unenthusiastic pecks at a handful of corn.

 

We cut short the usual w/end big clean-out, changed the underfloor newspaper and the nest straw and put her back in the Eglu. Later she came out and had a drink of water. She had been seen to poop.

 

This afternoon she has laid an egg, usual size and shape, but with a rough, chalky surface to the shell. It's a bit like the limescale hard water leaves in the kettle, don't know how else to describe it!

 

She is currently sitting quietly in the nestbox, while her housemate Tilly acts her normal cheery greedy self.

 

Any ideas/suggestions, please? I hate to see her 'not right'....

[libby22]

Hi. My girls will sometimes lay eggs just like this. It is a calcium deposit, basically an extra layer of shell being added to the egg. I often have this the day before they lay a soft shelled egg, which can make them feel off colour until the egg is laid. Then you will see them running around as normal. They can lay these rougher eggs for various reasons, if they wanted to lay and another hen was in the nest box for example, they hold onto the egg a little longer than they would usually. Also, if something has worried them, just as they are preparing to lay, ie wood pigeons, next door's cat, they will give up on laying until they feel safe and untroubled. The egg is quite normal to eat, it just looks as though it must be painful to pass. Hope this helps.

[Jenthelibrarian]

Thanks Libby!

 

Pleased to report that today I have two perky chooks, currently dancing with delight on the newspaper they've cunningly pulled out of their poop-tray

 

And two beautiful 'normal' eggs.