4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[dinkybluebug]

Hi,

 

We've two hens who are about 18 months old (Margot & Rose).

 

Since last Saturday Rose hasn't laid at all . I know that it's been really cold and miserable but am concerned as Margot has laid every other day.

 

Both girls seem to be ok in themselves and their eating/drinking habits, Rose does have a tendency to lay soft eggs every so often but I can normally tell when that's about to happen and her eggs are normally more fragile that you'd expect but they have enough grit to keep them going!

 

Has anyone else had a hen not lay for such a long period of time or have any suggestions as to what might be happening to Rose? Or what we might be able to do to help her?

 

Many thanks,

 

Alan

 

- Rose

- Margot

[jos]

Hi Alan,

I have nine hens and am only getting one egg a day at the moment! Egg laying is definately off the menu at the moment and I am putting it down to the cold weather as the girls seem very well in themselves. They are about 2 years old.

J

[mostin]

Have you wormed the girls recently? A dose of flubenvet got my girls laying again even though they were showing no outward signs of having worms.

[ubereglu]

Also check around the garden too. We thought Molly had gone off lay last year, turns out she'd made a nice comfy nest for herself in the old compost heap.

[Egluntyne]

Could just be the time of year too. Are they moulting?

[Purplemaniacs]

Henny Penny our Gingernut has not laid for a few months, not sure why, two of the others lay regularly and Ivory is moulting at the moment. Henny Penny seems to be herself eating and drinking and doing the normal chicken things, her comb has shrunk and is not bright red anymore and she doesn't crouch now. I hope the spring will get her laying again but I don't know I am just hoping. My four are wormed regularly with flubenvet.

 

Hope Rose lays again soon.

 

Chrissie

[helenmb]

I'd go with the worming first of all see if that makes any difference.

[Muffy]

One of mine stopped laying just before December, about 6 weeks now, previously laying every day since she was 20 weeks old in the summer.

Hope she starts again soon. Maybe I'll try some of that worm stuff.

[Sheilaz]

Moulting? Worms? Laying around garden?

 

...or rats taking them? (I had a squirrel removing eggs!)

[dinkybluebug]

Hi all,

 

Many thanks for all the replies.

 

We had started to worm them both from last Friday and as the week has gone on it's become obvious that Rose is moulting and I think that Margot might be about to start as well (though she's still laying every other day)

 

As this is the first time that they've moulted, hav you any hints on what we should (or shouldn't) be doing?

 

Thanks again!

Alan

[Jules.]

Alan I've been having the same problem too- I've just about got one egg each day from my 4 hens Buzz was having her first moult which has taken ages, & she didn't even crouch for me anymore, & she's my friendliest chicken

 

I thought I'd flubenet them, as they haven't been wormed since June/July & I finished worming them on Wednesday & got 2 eggs so far this morning

 

You will need to feed them extra protein while they are moulting to help the feathers grow- tuna, cat food & a dash of poultry spice are all good.

[SueChick]

We have just come out of a 6 week dry spell on eggs. Shock horror I actually had to buy 2 boxes!!!! Shameful!! I felt like a right fraud in the egg department. Anyway, I had one of my ladies in moult and she stopped laying throughout that but the other one didn't moult and still stopped laying. What was really weird though was that when they started laying again they started on exactly the same day! Strange - especially as one of them did not even have a moult!! Telepathy????

[alexgirl73]

Well I've got 8 chooks and I'm only getting one miserable egg a day at the moment. They all appear to have finished their moult, but so far showing no inclination towards laying agin. Mind you I don't blame them, i don't think I'd fancy using up all my energy on a freezing cold day laying an egg for someone else to eat

[dinkybluebug]

well, at the moment - they are both moulting... in fact everytime rose moves it seems a feather drops off her from somewhere.

 

fingers crossed when the moulting stops, they will start laying again.

 

Even though they are not laying they seem fine, it certainly doesnt stop them from destroying the garden!

 

Marc (Rose's other dad - lol)