[carrieb]

I have rhode island reds which have been in the same enclosure with 3 ducks for 4 months, they have reduced their egg laying to the point where i'm getting prob 1 or 2 eggs every other day, are my chickens sulking? the ducks are laying fine but i have heard that chickens sulk, can anyone advise?

[Vember]

Hi Carrieb

Welcome to the Hen House

Have to say I've never had that problem Got chickens first then, guinea fowl then ducks. I had 5 hens when I first got the ducks and they carried on laying no problems

Where are the hens nest boxes? are the ducks able to get in them?

How old are your hens? Any signs of any creepy crawlies on them? Are they eating ok? Have you wormed them recently? What do you feed them?


Sarah

[matilda duck]

Hi Carrieb,
I had ducks first then chickens never had a problem!!!   The ducks lay on their side and the chickens lay in their nest boxes.
Like vember said check for creepies always a sure sign if they are not layng

[carrieb]

thanks for your response, they all sleep together at the mo, but i am going to get the ducks a separate house, they are wormed each month and eat layers pellets or mash, weather depending. they're not moulting and have corn in the evenings, have not seen any critters but will douse them anyway.

[Vember]

Hummm if you worm each month does that mean you use VermX?

Vermx doesn't treat all kinds of worms and I think is more of a preventative.  Might be worth getting some flubenvet, just to make sure that worms aren't causing a problem


Sarah

[carrieb]

yes i do, have just ordered the flubenvet, do i have to throw their eggs away (if they lay any!) while i worm them, doused them last night and had 2 eggs today, very happy thanks so much for the advise.

[Vember]

Hi Carrie

You can still eat the eggs whilst worming with flubenvet no problems

There's some more info on worms here:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=4348.0

Fingers crossed for some more eggies soon

Sarah