Why oh why are my bantam's eggs getting smaller?

[babypowder]

She's 3, and has just come back into lay after the winter. She normally gives us 1 egg every other day or so, but they are weirdly getting smaller and smaller. Today's was no bigger than a quail's egg. Most puzzling. Of course, any day now she'll become broody ... Time to get a pair of Orpies or hybrids, methinks!

On a more serious note, I think she's got a lice problem, so will be off tomorrow to get some barrier louse powder (and some fubenvet for good measure) Could that be causing it?

Get a nitty gritty, a nitty gritty can solve all the worlds problems!

Um, what's a nitty gritty? [thick emoticon] Sounds like one of those combs we have to use on the kids!

I'm just trying to imagine my feisty little bantam putting up with conditioner and combing! Mind you, it would make doing DD2's hair seem like a breeze afterwards

It might just be a coming back into lay thing that will sort itself out in the next couple of weeks. And 3 is a bit young to be coming to the end of laying shelf-life.

Did you worm them in the spring? Worms can cause chickens to 'do badly', lice would have to be a really heavy infestation I would think to cause a problem. But dose them up as planned and feed them well too.

I only meant to add to the flock for some more eggs! I don't think she's past it - she just isn't a big 'producer'. She makes a fantastic broody, though, and regularly gets loaned to friends on that basis.