Chicken bald back

[jjiande]

Hello. Another question, since you have all been so helpful before.

 

Had a similar situation with Lottie a while back, but now it's Feathers... For the last few days her eggs have been strange - one very pale egg laid in the run two days ago, and then yesterday and today pale and brittle eggs in the coop in the morning. She's been laying since the middle of May and has always been pretty consistent. However, it's as if these eggs are sort of almost soft-shelled, or at least not properly shelled, which is why I think they are taking her by surprise.

 

She doesn't seem to be eating many pellets (neither of them do much since it got hot) but is happily eating wet mash with cod liver oil in the evenings, corn and mealworms at bedtime, and free ranging for a few hours each afternoon/evening. They also have grit available and a calcium supplement in the water (as Lottie had a problem with soft shells a month or so ago). I'm worried that if she isn't eating enough pellets then the egg thing will continue.

 

Anyway, Feathers' behaviour had been fine, if perhaps a bit subdued, but today she keeps going back into the nest box as if she needs to lay. She doesn't't stay in there long each time, but she got very stressed when I tried to shut the coop up, so I've just left her to it. I don't think she's broody (she's a hybrid) but it's as if she doesn't realise that she's already laid today, or as if there is still something else feeling odd inside.... Does that sound possible? When Lottie went through something similar she was producing a lot of soft shells and was really unhappy with it, so we ended up at the vet and on anti-biotics. I don't really think she needed them, as she bounced back after laying four soft shelled eggs in a day.

 

As I said, it's very similar to what Lottie did when her egg production went weird, but I could shut her out of the coop more easily as she's more laid back and didn't get so stressed.

 

Should I just leave her to it? She doesn't seem unwell, just a bit odd (if that makes sense for a chicken....).

 

Any advice gratefully received, as always!

[The Dogmother]

They do sometimes lay soft eggs in the hotter weather, this makes them act a bit odd. I would stop giving them wet mash and treats, shut them in the run with their pellets in the morning when they eat the most, and leave them to it.

[jjiande]

Thanks - that's helpful.

 

As it turned out I should have trusted Feathers' instincts, as I just found one of her eggs in the nestbox when I went to shut them in for the night . Before I left her to it this afternoon I had tried to block up the nestbox with a big yellow children's bucket shaped like a castle, and the poor thing managed to clamber up onto it . She did look very sweet.

 

So, another lesson in letting them get on with it...

 

Thanks again.

[The Dogmother]

Try adding more calcium to their diet; rinse and bake used egg shells, then blitz in the liquidiser until they are powdery. Add a little cod liver oil to their pellets and stir in some ground egg shells. The vit D in the oil will help the, to absorb the calcium. Try not to give treats or anything other than their feed.

[jjiande]

Thanks. Am already giving grit and oyster shell, and cod liver oil. Didn't think I was giving too many treats, but I'll cut right back.

 

Fingers crossed she'll get back to normal soon.