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

[chickenlass]

Didn't know whether to put this in the clinic section but decided as they are all Ok it would be better just inthe general area about chickens.

 

Last week I managed at long last to get my two seperate groups of Ex batts to cohabit ....

To cut a long story short they have been taking it in turns for about 9 months to free range seperately as there were lots of sqauabbles and fights going on.

 

On Bank holiday Monday I took the bull by the horns so to speak and sprayed Margo Angelica and Hero with some purple spray so that if things got REALLY NASTY again I could identify who was living happily with who.....

Well they all seem pretty much OK together ...a bit of scuffling etc but nothing as bad as before when I tried but I am only getting 1 egg a day now....from 6 chickens when I was getting 3 a day before...

 

I am not bothered about the egg number drop but wonder what can have caused it....Is it a bit of stress do you think?? Will they start laying again in a while...they all seem fine and healthy but I'm wondering what is happening to all the eggs that would have been laid if I hadn't put them all together....Are they all back logging inside the chickens and will it make them ill.?

[mostin]

Well done on finally getting them together, and well done on the purple spray idea, so you knew who was who .

 

I think their laying should get back on track again in a week or so. I know egg numbers dropped when I last merged two groups, I think it's the stress. They don't back up inside them, they just stop releasing new eggs from the ovarys.

 

Just to rule out any other causes though, when were all your girls last wormed? And have you checked for lice and red mite? If it's been over 4 months since their last worming then I'd dose them all again as this may reducing their egg output too.

 

Hope they've all been having a fab time free-ranging together in the sunshine today, and that they are still getting on together .

[chickenlass]

They were all wormed last month

I'll have to just hope that it is the stress and they will start again soon.

[mostin]

Fingers crossed for you