After laying two eggs duchess, we've been eggless for 4 days. The two she laid were on 12/7 & 12/9 but none since… she still has the large droppings and what looks to be an egg-filled bottom when I checked her over last night. But no eggs in the past 4 days as I write this. So far she’s not been acting oddly or as if in distress that I can see, and she doesn’t come out of her nestbox unless I move her to check for new eggs (I do this every evening). When I did this last night she sat low on the perch and darted back in as soon as I closed the nestbox door.

 

I may be worring for nothing, but I thought they would lay every 2 days unless something was wrong. But she’s not acting oddly otherwise. Should I be concerned she may be eggbound or should I just use the wait and see approach? Is it normal for a hen to stop laying and start back up?

 

I had another rescued hen of mine (Bambi) who was in distress a few days ago flying around the bird room on the 9th.. (she's since been clipped to avoid her getting herself hurt temporarly) The birds all went gerenerally quiet while this was going on and I wonder if this may have cause some stress to my breeding hens which caused them not to lay the last few days?

 

Any ideas/suggestions are appreciated. If she shows any sign of distress I'll update this thread but thus far I don't see her breathing heavily or on the floor of the cage. If she may be eggbound, what's the best way to help her.. i've heard conflicting information from various sources but do respect the members here who have experience in this. I have made sure she has natural full-spectrum lighting and plenty of calcium and vitamins.. fresh beans/veggies/fruit mix as well as their normal diet of seed/pellet mix & a millet spray.

Edited December 14, 200717 yr by Ravengypsy

She sounds fine to me. An eggbound hen shows great distress and you will know when it happens. I treat eggbound hens with time in a cage with heat lamp and a drop or two of calcivet to the beak. The egg passes. :fear

okay thanks Kaz, I'll just keep waiting and checking on her regularly to make sure she doesn't become distressed.. she seems perfectly happy last I checked her over, just protective of her eggs.. (Laughing out loud) she didn't want to move this morning from them and I was running behind so I didn't force the issue.

 

I just hadn't heard of laying stopping like that before and started to worry like the mom-type I am :fear

Edited December 14, 200717 yr by Ravengypsy

The delay between eggs isnt usual but it does happen with some hens. Some hens begin to lay eggs and are doing it more from a need to lay rather than a productive egg from a mating. Once the mating begins then the egglaying restarts. You may find later when you candle the eggs that the first two may be clear eggs.

thanks kaz! I'll stick with the wait and see aproach then :fear