Possibly poorly chook?!

[witch-1]

Hello again - who would have thought chickens could keep me so busy?

Out of my 3 chooks only 2 are laying so far. Yesterday we had a soft broken egg in their house - not sure which chook layed it.

Today, my Bluebell (Pepper) was looking 'not her best'. Dirty bum, not eating first thing, shutting her eyes whilst stood (only an hour from getting out). So I telephoned the suppliers (extremely lovely and helpful too - would recommend Cotswold Chickens to anyone). I told her that none of my girls seem to be eating as much as other peoples chooks (other thread) and I asked if a poorly chicken would still lay? She said not, so that Pepper doesn't sound that ill. She did say they sound like they need to up their proteins, and that to lay an egg it takes alot of protein out of them (hence the soft egg which could be the first from my Amber Star?!).

Anyway, advise was to give beef cat food tonight, and a hard boiled egg mashed tomorrow morning along with pellets. I told her I made the pellets into mash which they preferred she said to continue with that and to add some Poultry Spice... also, to not let them 'free range' until maybe after 11am so that they don't feast on all the goodies in my garden before they have had their fill of pellets.

I feel alot happier now - been and brought the cat food, boiled an egg in prep. She did say to ring her in 3 days if no improvement. So I have decided that the next 3 days I shall keep my chooks in their run.

Shall let you know how they get on. Ginger (Goldline) seems the better of the 3 and has given us almost an egg a day. So its a race between the other two Salt and Pepper to get healthy and get laying

Jan

[TPeers]

Mash the shell as well as the egg - the problem of a soft egg may be a lack of calcium!

The slightly dirty bum may be due to the bird comming into lay - not written up in any book I have seen but told to me by a supplier - they get a sore bum and it gets mucky for a few days or so then once in lay it all clears up!

You can get some odd poos for the same reason.... And the odd looks.... bit like a human being pregnant - all sorts of odd symptoms.....

[Sue]

Witch-1
That sounds almost exactly like the symptom my Enid went through. She had been laying for over a month and then we went through a period of soft shell eggs, many laid in the run, the standing around, eyes closed etc, mucky bum etc. I thought it was the heat but I did notice that as soon as the soft-shelled egg was laid she perked up no end, so it must have been very uncomfortable for her?
But just as I was starting to worry about how to get her to the Vet, she seemed to go back to laying normally in the hen house with proper eggs and no return to eyes shut, standing around and mucky bottom and not had a problem since, touching a lot of wood as I say this!
Sue

[witch-1]

My worry was, as well, her breast bone felt 'thin' - I haven't handled them much (not had them much over a month) but it felt noticable.

Last night they loved the egg - and I had already thought about mashing in the shell too. I sprinkled it with a bit of poultry spice too.

Today, I've just let them into the run - they all are eating which is good news. They're not sure about the cat food, but my kitten Basil is going mad trying to find ways of getting it to get it LOL... he's only on dried food, so thinks the chooks get preferential treatment! They like the pellets mixed with water - if this is their way of eating, sobeit!

Strange thing is - everyone says they do most of their poos at night, right? Well I clear out what I can each morning and wouldn't say it was any particular amount - until this morning! WOW there was loads... and all seemed fairly normal too.

I am beginning to think that apart from being maybe slightly low on protein - you could be right and my 3rd chook is about to grow up and be a layer

Glad they're not poorly. Just read my first thread and I did the egg and cat food the other way round, not sure whether I wrote it wrong or I've got it wrong?? Never mind - food is food and if they're eating I'm happy.

Keeping a close eye on the amount of pellets gone in the next few days. Here's hoping for 3 eggs today!
Jan

[Dotty Chick]

Morning Jan
I recommend Cotswolds chickens too as that's where I got mine from. I had a little problem with mine in the beginning and Jude helped me loads.
Was Pepper laying before she took unwell?
As mine have been laying a 'practise eggs' each before their full on hard shelled sort. This is very common apparently and no need for too much panic.
My girls are doing well, had 5 eggs yesterday and one practice egg, so may have 6 today...... but I won't count my chickens
Glad to hear all is well
Dotty

[witch-1]

Hi Dotty
2 out of my 3 are laying - one has been laying for a few weeks now, the other one we've had 2 eggs in 5 days. The third chook, the weak egg could have been hers... not sure.

They definately seem brighter today - we've been out most of the day but my daughter has been here.

Strange thing is... I never have eggs on Sundays! This was Ginger's first day off, the following week she had Sunday off as well, but as they had a day off in the week I thought maybe today! Well so far, nothing! Definately a day of rest with my religious birds

Jan
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