what is going on with my chooks?

[salome2001]

what is going on with my chooks? I had two POL birds who started laying about 3 weeks ago, all fine, small eggs to start but then medium sized perfect eggs. Introduced two new POL birds a week ago and in the last 24 hours between three of them (the other is being housed solo at present as they bashed her up) there has been one proper egg and FOUR soft shelled ones. The soft ones are also in the dropping trays so must have been done in the roosting bar section, not the nest box (where the proper eggs have all been)
Very confused. Any explanation??

[Small pumpkin]

They are probably all very stressed with the introduction of new birds. They should sort them selves out. Some cider vinegar in the water dish is a help in stressful times.

[kathyd]

Well if one's been bashed up they're obviously not getting along together yet, and as Pumpkin says they'll be suffering from stress. When birds first start laying things can take a while to settle down anyway (smaller eggs and occasional softies are normal), and having introduced stress into the equation won't have helped.

If you can separate out newcomers from existing birds for the first week or two after introducing them, preferably somewhere they can all see each other but not get at each other, it gives them all time to familiarise themselves in a relatively 'safe' atmosphere and reduce bullying a bit when you mix them together. I use debris netting to create temporary enclosures - it's cheap, and easy to move around and store when no longer needed. Perhaps you could put the other new POL bird back in with the solo one for now a) to stop the solo one being lonely and b) to prevent the other one from being further attacked by the existing flock and c) so you won't end up with one new solo bird being introduced (again) later and subject to further attacks? Introducing more than one at a time is kinder because it shares the bullying.

Keep us informed of how you get on won't you?