Author Topic: molting hen (Read 1860 times)

andy harris · « **on:** July 09, 2010, 07:49:15 am »

I got a blackrock and she is going through a heavy molt but she is still laying but the eggs have no shell i don't know how old she is .Is she comming to the end of her laying days ?What should i do ? Theres plenty of grit in the run and she is freerange.

terryh · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2010, 02:59:16 pm »

i dont know bud but im sure someone will eventually give you a reply

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2010, 06:34:34 pm »

Birds can moult or produce good eggs but not at the same time. If she is recovering from a heavy moult she will need some time before she starts to lay shelled eggs. Does her grit have calcium in it? Grit has two benefits - one is to aid food absorption (grinds down hard bits of grain), the second is to aid shell production.

Quote

The cell of a chicken egg is made up of about 94 percent calcium carbonate
(Ca(CO3)2), 1 percent magnesium carbonate, 1 percent calcium phosphate, and
about 4 percent organic matter, mainly protein. The egg shell has pores
through which air, moisture, and even bacteria can pass. The shell
represents about 11 percent of the weight of an egg. The shell is made up
of three parts -- the mammillary or inner layer is adjacent to the shell
membranes and has a "knob" like appearance. The middle layer, the bulk of
the shell is made up of small calcite crystals, mostly randomly arranged
with the pores running through it. The cuticle or top layer is a thin film
of protein that covers the egg when it is layed, but which drys up and
flakes off over time. The organization of the shell (i.e., the crystals of
calcite) provides a rigid structure that protects against breakage in
certain directions. On the other hand a small tap in some directions will
crack the shell.

andy harris · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2010, 08:16:36 am »

The grit in the run is oyster shells.

terryh · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2010, 10:25:27 am »

come on andy give more infomation lol
your birds also have a big garden to wander around in and are out most of the day

doganjo · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2010, 12:19:17 pm »

Terry, you obviously know Andy, can you answer him?

terryh · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2010, 12:34:37 pm »

i only know andy through telephone conversation

he lives about 15 miles from me ive never been to his home
plus im new to keeping chucks only had them about the same time i joined on this great forum 9th aprill this year
and have only ever kept canaries and british birds so you and the others information from the forum means a lot to us both

doganjo · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2010, 06:24:35 pm »

If they are free range and also getting oyster shell they'll be fine. Some hens lay really odd egg s for a while, but especially during a moult - if they lay any at all.