POL's eggs

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chickenfan

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Some of my youngsters came into lay, but after one or two good eggs, I got soft-shelled ones for a week, then no eggs. My hybrid came into lay with a large double-yolker as her first egg, then an odd-shape one, then after two eggs nothing. They all have red combs and look well. I just wonder what is going wrong with the eggs? Did I start layers pellets too late (just recently when I saw they were laying)? They have mixed grit. I have been giving them wheat at night.
 
Youngster's first eggs can be very hit and miss, I'm sure you will find all laying well and perfectly in a couple of weeks time. All the best!
 
They don't need layers pellets until they're in full lay, as their calcium supplies won't get depleted until they are making lots of eggshells, so I don't think you need to worry about that. You did right to wait until they had actually started to lay before giving layers pellets. As Val says, you just have to be patient and hope their hormones will settle down. Maybe they're being affected to some extent by the rapidly changing daylight at the moment - I expect birds who come into lay rather late in the year may have contradictory 'messages' reaching their pituitary glands. I'm sure they'll get there in the end. How old are they? If hatched after March, they may possibly be on the 'watershed' between trying to lay this season and waiting until the New Year.
 
Thank you Valerie and Marigold. They are exactly 5 months old. Glad you think they are OK.
 
Well, at five months old, you were quite lucky to get any eggs so soon. Be patient and they will get there in their own good time, maybe by the end of October with a bit of luck. Keep us posted on progress!
 
I've only been surprised that they came into lay, then stopped so soon, especially the hybrid. Not had this before. I've always found they lay at least a clutch of eggs. However, I've found today they are egg-eating.
 
Sorry about the egg eating, not one of the chicken traumas I've suffered from (as yet) Sometimes I wonder why we give such love and care to these pesky pets!
My this year's Pekins and Pekin hybrids 4 of them, laid at 16 weeks, so some birds do lay very early.
What breed are your birds?
 
The only sure way to stop them is roll away nest boxes Chickenfan, you could try the usual remedies like putting pot eggs in the nest boxes, keeping the nest boxes very dark and one I have heard of recently is taking all bedding out of the nest boxes, the thinking behind it is that when the chicken tries to peck the egg it will roll away, can't see it working myself as surely they will eventually lodge in a corner but could be worth a try. It sounds like the problem stems from the soft shells though, the natural thing for a chicken to do is to clean up the soft shelled/burst eggs with that in mind I would also cut out the wheat, they don't need it if you are feeding pellets, oh and if they are in with other birds then separate them before they pass on the habit.
 
Thanks so much for all the good advice Dinosaw. I think the problem is the wheat too, but I hadn't thought of the other things you raise. I was trying to fatten the Faverolles cockerels so that they are a worthwhile meal. Obviously need to separate them, but it all requires so many houses and runs, and they have not been troublesome to their sisters or each other.
 
Taking the bedding out of the nest box results in the egg breaking when they are laid onto the floor, so pretty sure that approach isn't going to work. The hens stand up to lay their eggs so they fall perhaps 6" and we have had to put cushion bedding into the nest boxes which is created by wood shavings between layers of feed bag paper. We have had complete success with pot eggs on the few occasions when eggs have been pecked open. But as Dinosaw says, the only certain method is a rollaway nest box. We also have curtains (made from rubber car mats cut into strips) on our boxes so the eggs are not so visible. Hens often peck the eggs, presumably to make sure the shell is OK and the egg is worth keeping in the 'clutch'. Sometimes though that breaks them, so starts off the egg eating habit.
 
Thank you Chris. So if you put pot eggs they can't open, they gradually get bored of trying? I can't see how I can put rollaway nest boxes in the houses I have. Strange there is no trace of eggs now, so I am not sure if they are eating everything or not laying, but they are behaving like birds in lay.
 
Just put a pot egg on the floor of the run and see if one tries to peck into it Chickenfan. Yes they do get bored of trying to get into them and presumably they get a headache as well.
 
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