Hello- was wondering if any of you have any advice. Not sure if there is any help for this. My Bard rock began laying in the last 2 weeks and she pecks her egg. Just one peck that makes a whole, but often doesn't break the skin. Her first one was entirely broken, and once she didn't break one. She's been laying more or less every day. Is there anything I can do? Is there hope she will get over it? I really appreciate your thoughts! ~ F4F
Egg Pecking
Hi Fauna4flora: Boy What a great question! You know chickens are so curious and the way they investigate is by pecking. I'm sure the curiosity is killing her. The fact that she has not eaten the egg, is a good thing. Sometimes thats a very hard thing to deal with. I'm not sure but I think I'd watch her, just maybe in a short time she will get over it and stop. Also beings you know which chick is doing it you should be able to establish about what time she lays and go out and take the egg from her, thereby helping her get over her curiosity problem. Also maybe you could find something shinny that you could hang in the nesting box and let her peck at that instead of the egg. Chickens love shinny objects. Good luck and welcome to the forum. Let us know how it goes. It's a great question. Haystack
Good idea about the pretty shiny thing. I've never had this happen and can't say for sure what it is, but curiosity sounds close as anything. Is she among other chickens? Could she be bored? Hopefully someone will come along with more experience with this...
Thanks for your advice and your welcome! What a great idea about the shinny object. I will try that. Some of your thoughts I have had too. She was early morning, and so I didn't catch her last weekend ;-) They seem to be a little "off" on their regularity, too- maybe this time of year with the short days? Sometimes a girl that looks like she wants to lay at the end of the day will roost instead and lay in the morning, or one of them skips a day about once a week. I watched most of the day, but we are building a second coop, so noone laid today after we started all the hammering and banging. It is funny about the curiousity.....one girl stood up high on a roost all day and gave us the studying eye. It was really cute. Thank you so much and I will let you know what happens tomorrow, if anything.
P.S. shot of all my eggs.......1. Brown Leghorn 2. Americauna 3. Americauna 4. Americauna 5. Bard Rock 6. Silver Laced Wyandotte 7. Sexlink
P.S.S. Do the eggs ever get larger as they start to mature? I've had the sexlink about a year now and she's been great. I guess as her's was the only egg for a long time, I never thought of it as large and I am surprised it is bigger than the Bard Rock's.
Hello Grownut. We cross posted! Yes, she is with other chickens and a rooster. What are symptoms of boredom in chickens? Can I give them "toys" like you do parrots and such?
HAA! I detect you are one who is very fond of her ladies. Yes indeed the eggs do in fact get larger as the girl gets into her laying habits FYI It takes approx 36 hours to produce an egg and therefore it works out to missing a day a week on an average. You seem to be very observant with your girls? All the signs of one who really enjoys their chickens. Thats a good thing. Haystack
oop's twenty-six hrs to create an egg.
Ditto, Hay. I think the best layers average about six days a week -they take a sabbath.
F2F -I was thinking that if she were too confined for some reason -penned up, whatever, that she might just start pecking at the egg for lack of anything better to do. Chicken brained motto>> When in doubt, peck.
Okay, I put a birdy disco ball in with my little ones. They love it. They are curious as Haystack said. They love all that is shiny. Good luck and welcome!!!!
I'm glad to read this.. I give mine goodies to play with.. I'll dig up a whole weed.. they love to pick at the roots! I've tied some spinach on the fence.. or throw in crackers.. (Triscuits take em forever) to pick at..
I put a board for them to jump up on.. etc.. I'm always doing something to keep their mind busy.
They also like to jump up on a garbage bag full of stuff..
LOL The things we do for our "kidz" LOL
Cool! We have a 15 gallon or so square plastic planter that we cut one side out in their coop. We put it there for additional shade, but they all jump up on it, too! You guys have such great input- thank you.
Yes, indeed haystack I love all my girls (and my guys). They all have names. And I haven't hung out here before because I had a LOT of embarassing mistakes. Gosh, picking, raiding opossums, hawks, yound guineas that just plain ran off, chick that was supposed to be a hen turned out to be a rooster.....you name it. These girls are from my second batch of chicks that I raised (only the rooster is left from the 1st batch) Watch out for brown leg horns. She is my second picker (they are a nervous breed I am told.) She is currently seperated from the others with a second rooster awaiting a new coop, and I am hoping now that she is older and will have lots of space she won't pick anymore. I will have a brand spanking new roomy coop and will have to fill it up with more hens!!!!!
Anyone have an Americauna that laid a yellow egg, or an easter egger that laid a pink egg? That would be so much fun to have!
Here is a pic of some of my chix- on weekends we sometimes let them have a day to dust bath and roam.
How pretty thye are.
Fauna, we all have our embarassing moments. We all have things happen and sharing them helps others learn and us grow. I have a chicken in my living room. Hehehe!
I do have a couple hens that lay pink eggs but they are not EE. ;)
Welcome, pull up a chair and share!
Thanks, Sewin! What breed are your hens with pink eggs? The Palm Beach County Fair starts next week, and I may have an opportunity to add to my brood without going through the chick raising process!
Here is a pic of that bad little brown leghorn.
The two that lay pink eggs are mixes. One is a Blue Andalusion mix the other is unidentifyable. All my flock are barnyard specails (a little of this and little of that) The ones with white ear lobes lay white or pinkish eggs. Red ear lobes lay brown eggs.
That is one nice looking (bad) leghorn! I like the comb over. Is it The Donald? hehehe
I have eggs in the incubator now. hehehe I just cant help myself. I have some showgirls and couple of my barnyard specails. Two are due tomorrow. I will keep you up to date.
The Donald- my DH will get a kick out of that one. She is pretty, isn't she? I like all the different shades of brown in her. I had no idea about the ear lobes....I learned something today! You can't ship chicks can you? Lord help me if I ever got an incubator........
I'll bet there is a great story behind the chicken in the living room. Do you have her dressed in those chicken diapers?!?!!?!
Hey F4F: You are so gonna fit right in here. Imbarrising hmmmm, thats part of the fun. Beautiful Roo, and pretty ladies. You already had me laughing, and Sewincircle YES she's my great niece, have never met her but we love her and her daughter, they are both a rip and I know you will enjoy them also. Great having you join us. Their are so many here at Daves that will help you out and I'm sure you'll see for yourself they are good people. Haystack
Oh yes, you can ship eggs and chicks. My eggs came from Texas. (The showgirls)
She is purdy, she really does not look like Donald Trump. I was kidding. She is more os the long legged Farah Faucet type with a side part.
Well, my chicken in the living room....She had a booboo. She had a large gash under her wing. Soooo I brought her in to have time to heal without my big roo jumping on her. She is in a dog kennel right in the living room. She comes out to visit with of to stretch her legs. She does not have a diaper, but I am ordering her a saddle so she wont get hurt when I put her back out with the others. She is probably very happy to be in right now since it is in the single digits and teens mostly here. hehehe
I know you will like it here. Great Uncle Haystack is a hoot!
You guys are cracking me up. Family are very special, and I love visiting home.
I wish you luck with your hen.....what is a chicken saddle?
A saddle is chicken clothes. Here is a thread with a picture for you.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/936596/
She makes these. They will protect her from further damage from my big roo because he LOVES her. LOL He could love her to death though. Sooo, if you ever want to walk a chicken on a leash, or protect one during molt this will do the trick. Naked hens during molt get cold. hehehe!!!
What a great device! Before the other girls were "of age", my Sexlink was getting loved on a little too much. Her feathers are filled in now, but I will have to contact you about making one for me. I'm sure I'll need it some time in teh future.
They are great. The women who makes them is a member here. I ordered mine already. Every little hen needs one! I ordered three. I may need to get a few more. (the others will get jealous) Maybe I can get one for the roo that looks like a James Bond tux so he looks all goood for the ladies. What do you think? hehehe
Hey F4F: is there such a thing as a yellow egg? (not Yolk) egg? Haystack
I really don't know. There is a picture of a yellow colored egg next to an Americauna on a poster at the Pet Store where I go to buy supplies and sometimes chicks. I'll take a closer look at it next time I am in the store. I just know that if there are colors, I want them all!
Rainbow chickens! Cool!
I want in.