[feelingbroody]

Hello All

My Sussex Star who was hatched in mid feb has just started to lay two days ago. Yesterday she laid one softee out and about and then I found just a yolk without a shell on the decking (no sign of any shell whatsover) then today she has laid what can only be described as a egg attatched to another egg, a bit like one sausage is to another (hope this is clear so far ) one was a softee but in tact and the other was just a yolk with the twisted part of what would have been another shell.

So I have either a sausage machine egg producing hen or

Any thoughts or comments really really welcome

I should add she is healthy is every other way and fed mixed corn in the evening and layers pellets along with grapes and sweetcorn as treats.

Thank you all in anticipation of your wisdom  :blink: :blink:

Broody

[joyfull]

the eggs in a string like sausages is how all hens eggs are inside them as anybody who has gutted a hen will have discovered  .
At the moment she is just getting into the swing of things - soon she will be laying normally.

[Pretty Chick]

Hi  

Soft shelled eggs are very common in new layers, it takes time for the mechanics of laying an egg to run smoothly and this means sometimes hiccups in the system do happen which leads to soft shelled eggs, yolkless eggs, double yolkers etc.

One of mine laid a softie the other day and the other hens tried eating it, so your hens may have done the same and could be why you found yolk with no 'shell'.

Keep an eye on her.
She should begin to consistently lay properly formed eggs  .

[feelingbroody]

Wow thanks for that, I thought I may have a problem and all I have is a normal hen after all, the thought of a sausage factory inside a hen......awesome  clever things. I have had double and triple yolkers of the others which is great for me as I dont eat egg white  so I really hope that stays like that but from what I have read unlikely.

Really grateful for your answers.

broody

[joyfull]

the more double yolkers the quicker she will run out of eggs so not a good thing for the hen 

[feelingbroody]

is there a way to prevent this joy?? or is it nature of the hybrids

Also the one that I mentioned previously is laying late in the day and whilst she is free range I dont want her to get into a habit of dropping eggs around the yard so should I keep her in for a while ?? the others lay every morning in the same place so no problems with them. If you have any ideas many thanks

Broody

[joyfull]

hens are supposed to take on average 25 hours to go through the egg laying process so some will get later in the day and will then either lay 2 in 1 day or miss a day, mine lay anytime between 5am and 5pm so leave the coup open for them and they should still lay in the nest box 
As for preventing double yolkers there is no way of preventing it I am afraid but most will only do it whilst getting used to laying and then go onto single yolks.

[feelingbroody]

Thanks again Joy, can I ask one more simple question I have been putting shavings dust extracted in the nest box and the perching area of the coop, the breeder advised that once they start laying to put the finest hay in the nestbox area. My 3 girls seem to have other ideas though they sleep in the nesting area and lay their eggs in the corner of the perching area. I have put some of the hay in the perching area where they are laying eggs what is better?? or does it not matter, this might sound a daft question but after all the threads I have read about hens going off and laying or eating their eggs I dont want them to fall into any bad habits that I cannot get them out of.

Thanks again
broody x

[joyfull]

do not use hay - this is for eating and is very palatable to animals. It can lead to them becoming crop bound, it can also carry spores which is not good for them either. Keep using shavings (dust extracted of course) or similar such as hemcore 

[feelingbroody]

ok thanks for that, what was the breeder thinking of ?

[grumpydad]

we use hemcore throughout, both in the nest boxes and the coop floor, nice and soft in the nest box, and very absorbant under the perch for when they poop at night.

[feelingbroody]

I have used lovely dust extracted shavings in the coop and hemcore on the run floor and i agree its fabulous stuff

thank you all for the replies