Trish Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 two of our girls have been off lay now for about two months, poor old Ruby (who's 3!) is the only one laying. The other two freeloaders decided to moult about the end of October and with the dark nights etc they haven't started laying again yet and I'm begining to think they may not. Maddy is over 3 and whilst Dotty is only 2 she is less of a hybrid and therefore likely to stop laying earlier. I really don't know what to do. Am I just being too impatient, should I wait and see what spring brings? Problem is I'd love to get a couple of new girls but I don't really want to give over more garden to another Eglu and run, when the girls spend all day in the bigger area we've given them. I do want to keep a fox proof area as my run isn't really but we've never had problems so maybe I could go to just two Eglus and no runs and a cube may be just too pricey to ask LSH to go with it. Arrggghh why isn't it simple. I guess in times gone by the two not laying would have been in the pot by now but I just couldn't do that to them. coooo what a rant, sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Mine are the same Trish, so you have my sympathies. I have 10 chooks and not one egg!!!!! 3 of them were youngsters, purchased at the end of the summer and just haven't come into lay yet. The rest are moulting. Last year I didn't get eggs again until january and that's despite asking for a Christmas egg, and then a birthady egg I guess they need the rest though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Given that they have a much larger run to roam in during the day would five medium sized birds be too many for a mark one Eglu? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Trish, don't give up hope yet on your October moulters. Starlet was moulting through October up until a couple of weeks ago and now she's come back into lay and she's now laid us three eggs...one on Sun and Mon and one today! I have four chickens at the minute and I have to admit she is the only one laying as Molly and Spice are too young and Muddles suddenly decided to moult just last week and is too busy to lay as she's growing spikes and feels like a hedgehog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted December 7, 2007 Author Share Posted December 7, 2007 Thanks for that I think my concern is more with Maddy with her being three now I thought that we may not see anymore from her. We'll see what happens though. If I thought 5 would fit in the Eglu then I'd happily get another two girls as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Hi, I have 5 in an eglu and they are fine. They free range all day every day so I still only have the basic run area although planning to get an extension. Now it's cold they huddle up together in the eglu at night without any problems (actually at the moment I reckon you could get at least 8 in there as there's lots of space left they are huddling so close). We do have one who spends the night in the nest area rather than peaching on the bars and one who perches over the one in the nest box... Patricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 we've got 4 in ours and they sleep double stacked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockADoodleDoo Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 my super girl Peach is the only one laying despite the fact she is moulting and she has sprained her ancle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
