Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: SMS6 on July 06, 2011, 13:15
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I've had a good read around and also tried searching the forum but can't find any indication of this being asked previously. Maybe that's because it's a 'dumb' question. But if you don't ask you don't learn
I'm new to chickens and as I have mentioned before I have 3. 2 of them are bigger and obviously well established layers, they have good sized combs & wattles - we know the Sussex lays whitish eggs and the Maran brown ones.
My other hen is a hybrid and she's younger, where we bought them from explained she had just begun laying and her eggs were small but she was laying brown eggs and even got to the stage of laying daily.
However, we haven't seen a small brown egg for nearly 2 weeks now and we don't think she's laying at all. She has only a small comb and wattles - could it be this is all down to her age or is it more usual that once she starts laying she should continue and there may be another problem?
She looks well, comes running for treats, eats and drinks and all three seem to get on okay now they've sorted the pecking order
I keep trying to catch them going in to the nest box and then rushing out each time to see if I can work out who's laying what but can't do that when I'm at work
What age are they before their comb and wattles are fully grown?
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I am not an expert but I would say that the size of the combs and wattles can depend on the breed as well as the age.
I look at the colour of the combs on my hens. If they are very red and slightly larger then they are laying. If they are paler and smaller then they are not.
Have your hens arrived with you recently? A change of environment or diet can put a hen off laying.
Hens go off laying when they are broody or moulting. Are there lots of feathers around?
Good luck and keep us posted. :)
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I've had them since the beginning of June and we had our first egg on the first day, then they all settled in and were laying every other day. The Maran still lays every other day and has had a few days (2or3) rest in the month. The Sussex sometimes lays every day and again she took 3 days off.
The one in question started laying every other day then did about 7 days in a row then stopped about 10 days ago