Everything has been going really well with the girls for the past few days, then early evening yesterday, Amber looked unwell again. She was standing with her eyes closing. I tempted her to half heartedly eat a few sunflower hearts. She stood by the water drinking a lot. I felt sure that she had an egg laying problem and would probably lay another soft shelled egg, it was four days since she laid her firts soft shelled egg.
Before dusk as the girls were going through their bedtime routine of sitting on the coop roof, I picked up first the little girls, then the big girls, and put them all in the coop. I felt an early night wouldn’t do any harm. I peeked in the coop and as usual the bantys were in the nest box and the big girls on their usual perch.
This morning when I went out to them, Amber was back to her normal self again and sure enough there was another soft shelled egg in the nest box. I know it’s Amber’s as Honey had laid her normal egg yesterday afternoon.
The shell was slightly firmer than her last one as I was able to pick it up this time.
Amber’s second soft shelled egg
Pepper’s egg on the left, Amber’s egg in the middle and Honey’s egg on the right
I have never seen the bantys take the grit and oyster shell that is in a hopper in the run but they do pick up grit from the ground and both Honey and Amber have the same diet. Honey’s eggs have been normal from the start where as Amber has now laid two tiny eggs and two soft shelled eggs.
I made them some mash with some grit sprinkled in to it but most of the grit was left in the bottom of the dish. I will get some limestone flour as soon as possible.
We were doing a function in the afternoon and were out between eleven o’clock and three o’clock. I went straight up to check on the girls and give them the last of the maggots. To my horror the patio area had splashes of blood on it.
I checked each of the girls and poor little Amber has had her comb pecked again. There was a little blood inside the door of the coop and most of it on the area outside the coop. I would imagine that Bluebell has attacked her as she has come out of the coop. Both little girls have now each had their combs pecked two times and there was much more blood this time. Amber seems fine now but I feel so awful for her. I just don’t know what to do about this.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
You could try some purple spray, or anti-peck spray. It might deter the pecker x
I have got some purple and anti peck spray, both of which I used to try to deter the feather pulling. It didn’t work at all but I will try it on their comb. It is so heartbreaking to see this. I didn’t like the feather pulling and still don’t, but at least it doesn’t bother them where as this is the first time blood has been drawn and I am finding it so upsetting. The little girls seem to bounce back from it but I feel so bad bringing them to this. I had no idea that it would be like this.
For the soft eggs..I have some lime stone flour if you want to give it a go . It worked for Rosie .It really does take it out of them poor little things and if bluebell sees she is under the weather the bully bluebell will peck her I reckon .
I would really appreciate some limestone flour.I wasn’t sure if your e-mail was back on and after a long day (weekend, in fact!) it was a bit too late to call you.
You could be right about her picking on her while she is down.
I was going to use the purple spray tonight but when we went back to do it the little girls had gone to bed early and I couldn’t bare to stress them any more.
I will be in touch tomorrow. Perhaps I could bring you to see them this week, if it’s good for you.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the soft shelled eggs. It’s quite common when they first start egg laying and happened to mine quite a bit. If it carries on for a long time then there could be a problem, but at the moment it is nothing to worry about.
It’s just that Amber looks so unwell just before she lays them. Any way Jackie has kindly offered me some of her limestone flour which she said sorted out her Rosie when she was laying soft shelled eggs.
I think once she starts to lay normal eggs she will start to feel better. I am more worried at the moment about Bluebell making their combs bleed. I saw Bluebell pull a feather from her this morning. I am feeling really frustrated by Bluebell’s behaviour!