Tuesday 30 April 2013

Soft shelled eggs

The last couple of days we have noticed a soft shelled egg in the hen house.  It hasn't been in the nest boxes but instead underneath the perch.  The first morning that I saw it there, Didee our new white hen was standing there with her beak in the yolk!  So I think it may be hers.  Then today another soft shelled egg and my Mister saw Didee hanging around the door of the house when he had spotted the soft egg.

But at least they are ALL laying!

If you count today's soft shelled egg, then all four hens have laid an egg today!  This is our first time ever that all four of our hens have laid an egg on the same day!  We get two white-ish ones, and the shinier one is the Scots Dumpy egg.  The milky-tea coloured egg must be our new hen Rosie's egg.  If Didee starts laying firm shelled eggs, then we may be in business!

Whitey Didee is still escaping to a tree at night - I have to go and collect her and carry her into the hen house after dark as they still won't let her into the house.

5 comments:

  1. Poor Didee! Congrats that they're all laying!!!

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  2. We have a hen that is laying soft shelled eggs at the moment as well, not sure why though!

    Poor white Didee not being allowed in to the house, 3 of mine sleep together in the nest box and the other in another corner, none of them use the roosting bars!

    Alison
    x

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  3. What a lovely picture of them all. Looks like they are settling in well x

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  4. Sometimes stress can cause them to lay soft eggs, and since you recently added the new girls they are probably still a little stressed out from the change. You might try adding oyster shell (or crushed up egg shells) free choice just in case they need a little more calcium. Also, since it was under the perch, it's possible that something scared the one who laid it in the middle of the night and caused her to lay her egg before the shell was completely formed. Sometimes if they get spooked it interferes with their current egg that is in production.

    Also, just because Didee was eating the egg doesn't necessarily mean it was hers - when any of my chickens see a soft egg or a broken egg, they go crazy over it! I don't know why, but chickens seem to love raw eggs. Every once in a while you'll get a hen who likes to eat her eggs after she lays them, but luckily I haven't had to deal with that! Mine will only go after an egg that's cracked, not one that is intact.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Tammy! You are always so supportive and encouraging and helpful. I do appreciate your help a lot.
      Nessa. x

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