Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Jo57 on August 19, 2014, 20:41
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I have been keeping chickens for a few years now and egg production fluctuates. Sometimes lots almost always at least one but for the past week none. There are 9 girls of varying age, breed (not hybrids) and size (5 bantams). Some are in first laying year.
I have searched the garden (they free range) - nothing. They all seem well and happy and go to bed happily. I have checked the redmite are not returned but no sign. What could be wrong? or is it time of year. Never been like this before.
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I wonder if the weather has had something to do with it? We seem to have gone from very warm and sunny to cloudy. wet, windy and dropping temperatures. One of my (year 1 hybrid) girls has been a bit sporadic all summer but recently even the other 3 are not as productive. I'm currently worming them just to tick the box as done and to see if this makes any difference (the first time I wormed them the shift in egg production was amazing even though the girls looked happy and healthy before)
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Are they going into a moult? Ours mould around this time of year and egg production stops.
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mine have slowed down too - mind you 1 is broody and 2 are living out of their run so probably laying in the fields somewhere. The only time I see them is first thing in the morning when they come back to eat and again in the afternoon when it's treat time.
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Some are moulting, I have wormed, I guess it could be the weather or a combination of all and coincidence all happens together. Just very unusual to have no eggs for so long from 9 chickens
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Could anything be taking the eggs?
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My friend was nonplussed when all her hens seemingly stopped laying at once. She did a thorough search of the garden and found 30 eggs hidden in the pampas grass. They must copy each other :D
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I have crawled under brambles, behind nettles and in behind bushes but no sign! Am PUZZLED. I am sure nothing is stealing eggs.
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woohooo One tiny bantam egg in nest box this morning. There is still much moulting going on - looks like a pillow fight in the coop in the mornings.
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woohooo One tiny bantam egg in nest box this morning. There is still much moulting going on - looks like a pillow fight in the coop in the mornings.
That's your answer then! I could stuff a mattress with feathers at the moment. I have 29 hens and only 5 are laying the rest are in moult as is my cockerel, who looks very similar to a Transylvanian naked neck!