# Hen not laid second egg - is this bad?



## Jemofirongate (Feb 15, 2014)

My Lahore hen laid her very first egg on tues this week (24th march) but as of today she has not laid her second - should I be worried about this? She is two years old this month.

My pigeon reference book says she should lay a second within 48 hours of the first. It has been 4 days now.

She is showing no signs of ill health at all; she is eating and drinking well and taking on grit. She sits the first egg from time to time but since its not fertile im letting her get on with it and just taking her out the cage to poop, stretch and fly.

Is it possible she might only produce 1 egg? Or should I be concerned she might have problems with the second egg? What sort of symptoms should I look out for that she might have an egg problem?

Any advice appreciated

Thanks - Jemma


----------



## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Google egg binding and you will find tons of info


----------



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Je mma, is she eating and drinking normally? When Phoebe had reproductive problems she gained weight, was full of yellow fluid. If you think she might be egg bound please consult a vet as this can be life threatening.


----------



## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Cweb, doubt it is egg bound as it is not showing any signs by the description. Best they read all about it and familiarize themselves with the symptoms and what to do. Time will tell.


----------



## Jemofirongate (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. I have read up about symptoms of egg binding and she has none of them! She seems healthy and normal, but its been 5 days now since the first egg.

A couple of the sources I read said that a pigeon can seem healthy but develop complications very quickly and die. This wasnt very reassuring!!

I will call the vet tomorrow and ask for advice. If I take her in they may be able to check to see if there is an egg forming inside

Jemma


----------



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Don't know if they always lay two. CBL said they usually lay two. A vet can do an ultrasound to rule out egg binding if you want to be absolutely certain. Luckily most of the time they don't have problems.


----------



## Maclofts (Dec 14, 2014)

Hey there, to me it sounds like your bird is a single hen therefore the eggs are not fertilized... I have a female like that too and she lays only one egg pretty often since she has no mate, but sometimes two  it's normal for a bird like her! I really doubt its egg binding! Hope this helps


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jemofirongate said:


> My Lahore hen laid her very first egg on tues this week (24th march) but as of today she has not laid her second - should I be worried about this? She is two years old this month.
> 
> My pigeon reference book says she should lay a second within 48 hours of the first. It has been 4 days now.
> 
> ...


It is very normal for a hen to only lay one egg her first time.


----------



## Jemofirongate (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I took her to the vet yesterday and she confirmed there was no egg inside!
She also said that it was not unusual for a young hen to only lay one egg.

Lola has lost interest in the first egg entirely so I will take it away now.

Shes her usual healthy happy self, way more chilled than I was about becoming a first time egg mumma, lol!

Jemma


----------



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Jemma, so glad to hear Lola is fine! Had the same anxieties with Fiona. It's nerve wracking being the mother of female pigeons!


----------

