Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place

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Pony Girl

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Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« on: April 05, 2012, 08:25 »
My two brown warren hens, Clover and Sage, came into lay at the beginning of March. All has been fine up until now with lots of good strong eggs and several double yolkers.

However over the past few days one of them has stopped laying in the nest box but lays where she sits on the perch right next to the pop hole.

Day one was a normal egg just in the wrong place
Day 2 - shell less egg - unfortunately in the rush for them all to get out in the morning it got trodden on and everyone started trying to eat it. Luckily I was there as it happened and intervened quickly!
Day 3 - no egg
Today - another very thin shelled egg, virtually shell less on one side

They are on Garvo alfa-alfa mix and layers mash and have ad lib access to grit. All the books say that this can happen occasionally at the beginning of lay, but does a month in still count as the beginning of lay, and is two dodgy eggs in a row a sign of something more serious?

Also all 4 hens (favorelle, pekin and brown warrens) always used to sleep in the nestbox. Why have they suddenly taken to sleeping on the perch?  I clean the house out every week and have been vigilant about red mite prevention so I don't think it's that. The other two still lay in the box as normal. The favorelle, Bella, has never laid an egg since we had her!

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joyfull

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2012, 08:45 »
yes one month in is still new to laying. They don't lay everyday so a day off is normal.
They should have access to crushed oyster shell all the time - grit is a different thing and grinds their food as they have no teeth - oyster shell slowly dissolves inside them to provide a source of calcium.
Cut down on treats and feed mainly layers feed whether that is meal or pellets is entirely up to you.
They are supposed to sleep on the perches that is what birds should do afterall wild birds sleep on branches in the trees and hens are related to the jungle fowl. Try to stop the others from sleeping in the nest boxes.
There is no need to stop them eating a broken egg - they get a good source of protein and if there is any shell they get some added calcium.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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splash101

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2012, 10:35 »
When i first got mine they all used to sleep in the next boxes and then eventually moved onto the perches after about 4 weeks.
I dont know if they felt safer in the nest boxes until they aclimatised to their new home.
Perhaps they have realised that the nest boxes are there for a purpose, to lay eggs in and not sleep in.
As for laying in the wrong place, i have one that lays everyday under a bush. I thik it's because there is a queue for the nest box (even though we have more than enough nest boxes to accomodate, they all like to lay in the same one).
She is the lowest in the pecking order so she has to wait and has taken it upon herself to lay under the bush.
Occasionally we get a broken egg in the nest box (no surprise with all the jostling about) and one of the chickens will kick it out of the nest and it lands next to the perches. As it is already broken, i toss it out for the chickens to eat (this hasnt encouraged them to eat any other eggs that are laid). Doesn't happen that often anyway.
It will take a few days for the shells to return to normal
How old is the Favorelle? I had a Rhode Island Red that was 9 months old before she started laying

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Raven81

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2012, 13:38 »
one of mine went through a phase of laying under the perches, I got a bit worried but after a few days she went back to the nest box as normal.

The glass is neither half empty or half full - it is simply the incorrect size! Find a new glass!

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Pony Girl

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2012, 13:38 »
We got Bella (favorelle) in July 2011 as a young pullet (not sure exact age) but she must be coming up to a year old soon.

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PaulineM

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2012, 21:30 »
Hi

I hatched one Welsummer chick in March last year and she was 50 weeks before she laid her first egg just a few weeks ago  :)
1 Hubby, 2 children, 2 Welsummers, 1 Leghorn Banty, 1 Wyandotte Banty, 1 Barnevelder, 2 Isa Brown, 1 Rhode Island, 1 Goldline,1 Maran, 2 Mottled Leghorns, 1 Leghorn cockerel & 2 Jack Russells

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Pony Girl

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Re: Shell-less Eggs and Laying in the Wrong Place
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2012, 10:41 »
Happy to report that they are all back to normal now and laying firm shelled eggs in the nest box, so it was just obviously one of those things.

And would you believe after posting my reply I went home and found that Bella had laid her very first egg!!! :) It was a bit of a strange looking egg and haven't had any since but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

No sign of red mite since the last treatment. :)



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