[melc1962]

Help! My favourite chicken (ok I know you shouldn't have favourites but ...) Fluffy has suddenly started to lay completely squishy eggs. In fact I found one of my RIRs eating it this morning. The first time I found a soft one in the evening she had already laid in the morning and previous to this her shells had been ROCK HARD, So it seems like overnight her egg shell quality has deteriorated. I was worried yesterday as she had developed a still quality and looked under the weather but she looks better today. I've read about calcium and ShellMax but think that on the whole their diet is good so can soft shells be a sympton of anything else? Any ideas anyone? I've only had two softies so far so I might be overreacting. In fact the four girls laid 28 eggs in 7 days last week so I figured they probably deserved a rest!

melc1962

[poultrygeist]

Hi melc.

You're not alone with this as you may have seen...

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=227424#227424

It can mean a whole host of things but if it's only occasionally and not for long, then usually just a blip or a sign of a shock, such as getting caught in the rain or a loud noise.
And as you say, they've been working hard.

Rob

[melc1962]

Thanks for that Rob. I've read in my chicken book (The Right Way to Keep Chickens) that hens don't like to be wet but mine spent all day Sunday (which was filthy) getting saturated in the rain. Why don't they stay indoors I wonder? It crossed my mind that she might have got some kind of chill, so hopefully it will pass.

melc1962

[poultrygeist]

Our 6 are all like that today. I've got half the run covered and they want to stay in the rain. Someone suggested the worms might be coming up.

Not sure if they can come to harm or not but they seem to enjoy it.

I'm going to try and cover more tomorrow because the mud is getting serious. Need some bark chippings pronto.

Rob

[Aunt Sally]

It may just be an egg laying blip Mel.  but keep an eye on things abd if yiu feel things are not  getting back to normal quickly enoughthen increase the level of calcium in the diet, by giving more oyster sehll or adding some limestone flour totheir feed.  A few drops of cod liver oil is a good idea too.

[mumsy]

Auntie, maybe you should do a sticky on the info page as this seems to crop up alot doesn't it?

[melc1962]

Fluffy laid a Rock Hard shell today and looks as well as ever! Thank goodness. She has muck either side of her head, though, from where her muddy feet have been scratching. I have had my chickens since April and, as yet, haven't got around to treating them for any kind of parasite. Is there a good all purpose treatment that will help get rid of the three main types of chicken mite. I haven't checked their house for red mites but have worried about it a good deal.  In a way I think I've been putting it off because although Fluffy and Florrie are happy to be stroked and picked up Madame Speckle and Bread Sauce run a mile if you approach them with arm outstretched. How do you treat wary hens for parasites. I tried filling a litter tray with sand (apparently they will bathe in sand mixed with powder)but they ignored it and as soon as my back was turned the cats went in it! Any suggestions?

[Aunt Sally]

Auntie, maybe you should do a sticky on the info page as this seems to crop up alot doesn't it?

Do  you mean eggy topics Mumsy ?

If so, will do  

[peggyprice]

Is there a good all purpose treatment that will help get rid of the three main types of chicken mite. I haven't checked their house for red mites but have worried about it a good deal.  In a way I think I've been putting it off because although Fluffy and Florrie are happy to be stroked and picked up Madame Speckle and Bread Sauce run a mile if you approach them with arm outstretched. How do you treat wary hens for parasites. I tried filling a litter tray with sand (apparently they will bathe in sand mixed with powder)but they ignored it and as soon as my back was turned the cats went in it! Any suggestions?

There's some really good advice on this thread http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=18127&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0, including a very helpful 'cleaning regime' from Foxy (scroll down the first page).

I wanted to Frontline mine last weekend, and like yours all but one of mine run a mile rather than be touched during the day.  But come the evening when they were settling down for bed it was dead easy to get hold of each one in turn and I was able to give each one a really thorough examination (front, back and all bits in between!).

I'm trying to handle them each every evening now, and they seem to be getting used to it.