One Girl off the Lay

Tessa · « **on:** February 12, 2008, 03:55 »

It is a very hot summer here in NZ, but one of my free range girls who is pretty old and manky, she lays every day without fail - she's so good. But the other one who is a big girl and young, got a bit peeved off because the last two eggs she laid, they fell off the nest and broke, and now she's not laying. She hasn't laid for two weeks! I've tried to coax her into nice places but still she won't and I've looked everywhere to see if she is laying somewhere I don't know about.

Any ideas?

slowef · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2008, 08:12 »

You could try a golf ball or fake egg to see if she takes the hint where to lay. I find if an egg is already there the others feel the need to add their own to the collection

richyrich7 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2008, 11:03 »

Hi Tessa I noticed you said "free range" are you sure she's not just hiding them from you :?:

Tessa · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2008, 23:23 »

Well, I have definitely looked everywhere! Now, the last few days, Pickle's been acting rather oddly and annoying Marmalade. Marmalade is so good and she lays in her nest (in the woodshed) every day without fail. Pickle has gone in to the woodshed looking as if she might go and lay there, but Marmalade tells her off. I have tried the golf ball trick but that's not working. In the early days of getting these girls, Pickle sometimes waited for Marmalade to lay and then would sit on her egg and then lay an egg beside it. So that's what I thought she was going to do, but still no egg from her.

It's now been about 3 weeks! I wish she'd start laying again because her eggs are huge because she's such a big bird. Plus they're both brown shavers, so there's no excuse!

I have had a look at her vent area and it all looks clean and fine.

Lost in France · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2008, 12:44 »

Hello Tessa,

Maybe Pickle just wants a rest or has she been really clever, (chooks can be you know!), and as others have suggested, hidden a nest and hopes to be a mum soon? I'm sure with a little TLC, she'll soon be back laying for you...have you tried grapes???!!!

Judi

richyrich7 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2008, 22:11 »

I noticed that in 2006 ? we had a very hot summer and my hens went on a go slow, perhaps its nothing more than the heat ? what do you feed them on Tessa ? mine get a pretty strict diet of layers pellets and greens plus what they free range, and a little corn in the evenings, no treats usually. And plenty of water of course.

Tessa · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2008, 00:01 »

Well, a strange thing happened with Pickle a couple of days ago. I came home from work and she and Marmalade were sitting in the middle of the lawn. About 20 minutes later, I went back out to see them and they had both moved. But there was a strange looking egg on the lawn by the hose. Marmalade spotted it and went to eat the yolk, but I saw in time that the egg would've been Pickle's as it was large but the shell wasn't formed, it was like the membrane inside only. So, I would say she's got some sort of problem, but I don't know what. Any ideas/help here?

richyrich7 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2008, 20:17 »

Have you tried giving them crushed oyster shell and a drop of cod liver oil every now and then ,mine goes on a piece of bread ?this may help

Sounds like it could be the heat, we had a heat wave a year or so back and mine really lost all interest in laying. I beleive the heat can also effect the absorption of vitamins and minerals which could also affect laying.

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