Chicken Memorials

[Narf]

Hello again,

After my last post about my four girls laying fewer eggs, I did go and have a hunt around the new area of grass, but I found nothing. Since then, the egg laying has been very sporadic, some days I have had three eggs and more often, none at all!  When they have laid eggs, the whites are very, very watery. When I make poached eggs, the whites go into the water and make it cloudy, rather than 'holding together'.

They are not looking quite as sleek as they did; a bit more ruffled looking, so could they be moulting? 

My lovely husband has researched and has found very scary information, saying that it could be a viral infection! Can anyone help please? 

[mullethunter]

Sorry if you posted this before and I’ve forgotten.

How old are your girls and have they ever been wormed?

[Narf]

Sorry, I forgot to put the girls' age!  I had them as POL last July, so probably about a year old. Yes, I wormed them about two months ago with layers pellets with Flubanet(?) in. They didn't eat the pellets well at all.

 

[Beantree]

When you worm them it is important that they eat nothing else, so they need to be confined to their run otherwise the treatment will be ineffective. Quite possible they have a worm burden as that does affect egg quality and size. If they are only eating mainly grass they won't get enough protein to lay eggs at the normal frequency anyway; we have this issue. Too early in the season to moult I think (expect August), but their feathers will be looking a bit tatty now as they are old and do need replacing.

[Narf]

Thank you so much. I am off to go and buy some more pellets with wormer in. I know now that I haven't been strict enough and have let the girls have access to their grass and treats while trying to worm them. I wouldn't want to eat worming pellets instead of grass and corn, so why would they! I've been rather daft!

Thank you again.