Yet more advice needed!

[Newtothis]

Hi

Myfanwy our cuckoo maran who has been looking after her adopted chicks has now decided to start laying eggs again...
It's 8 weeks or so since she first went brody, and she has been looking after the chicks for 5 weeks now.
She is wanting out of the broody run as I've said before, but started nipping back and forth to the coop earlier today - then when we get home an egg!
Will it be OK to just leave her to lay when she needs to and take the egg out regularly?
Also should she be going back on layers pellets now? She has been on mixed corn and chick crumb, with the odd bug that has sneaked into the run, for the past 2 months.
I was supprised that she layed today, but it was a good sized, hard shelled egg, with the only differance from her previous 'normal' eggs being that the shell is a paler colour with dark speckles.
Any thing I should be doing, or just leave well alone...

thanks

David

[Newtothis]

Could do with some advice on how to spell too....

[Graham K]

Try downloading "ispell" you can find it on google, I wouldn't be withouttt it!

[chris]

Speckles are normal, I see fluctuation in the eggs (shell colour, speckles, texture, shape and size) my chickens lay all the time (daily, in fact).

I don't know about the other questions though - sorry!

[Newtothis]

Thanks Chris
Yes she used to give lovely dark brown eggs with chocolate speckles...and thanks for that GK!

[RichmondHens]

Is she still brooding the chicks at night or they sitting round her rather than under her? If the latter I would think she is about ready to leave them, especially if she is laying. You could leave her another week just to make sure the chicks are fully feathered up then return her to the main flock. Just remember to collect the eggs daily from the coop. The diet doesn't matter, she will be back on layers soon enough when she goes back with the other hens.

Re egg colour, there is always a small amount of fluctuation in colour and texture when starting up lay, you may find the egg is a different shade to before, all hens are different, some continue to lay good brown eggs all their life, others vary from year to year.

[Graham K]

Sorry I got the spelling thing wrong, it's iespell (one word) I guess it's for internet explorer but it might work on others.

[Newtothis]

Again many thanks for the advice RH.