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

[sarahphe]

we have 3 chickens which are about 25 weeks old. all have been laying well with us having 2 eggs a day most days of the week, however for the last week we have had only 1 egg for the whole week. all the girls look healthy and happy and there have been no changes in the garden or their environment except the weather. does the rain affect their laying? since it started raining last week and has been raining on and off pretty much every day i was wondering if it was this that was bothering them? them have been wormed and mite treated on sunday but nothing has made a difference. we are completely baffled!

 

Please help!

 

Sarah x

[Budgies]

I'm not sure that I ever noticed the rain affecting their laying, though I suppose it is possible.

 

Wonder if it's more likely that they're getting a visit from a fox at night time or something similar which is having an effect?

 

Anything that scares or upsets them will certainly have an impact on their egg laying.

 

Or does the fact that it is raining change your routine with them? If they're not free-ranging in the rain where they were in the previous weeks, maybe its access to grass that is making the difference?

[Hen Watch]

Never had a problem with rain. Thunderstorms sometimes mean wierd shaped torpedo eggs.

 

Sometimes I can't stop myself when we have left over rice, pasta, or even veg peelings and I have found that if I give too many treats then their egg laying reduces a few days later. May be worth cutting treats out all together.

[Guest]

Unless I am becoming bonkers I thought the sunlight did make them lay more(stimulates ovualation) as thats why intensive hens are kept under light to keep them laying...

 

That what I believed to be right but someone may correct me

 

indie

[Chook n Boo Mum]

That makes sense Indie, but other factors make a difference to our delicate little princesses, ours can be affected by the mower, lack of freeranging time.

 

Of course our dowager duchesses (the Orpies) are so blooming fussy I think that a leaf dropping too close to them would put them on to "not gonna lay" mode, though why is anyone's guess! I think the book "Chicken Licken" was definitely written about an Orpie, I'm not sure the lights are even on, much less anyone home.......and if the lights are on they are very very very low energy

 

I think we'll be short on eggs this weekend having just hoiked them out of the cube to paint Ukadex on the pecked ones My mum who's baby/chook/pooch sitting will take it personally should I tell her?!

 

Sha x

[sarahphe]

thanx everyone for your replies, just to answer some of your comments, nothing in the girls rountine has changed theyre still free range even in the rain! and we dont tend to give them many treats as they help themselves to the veg box on a regular basis (not intentional but myrtle is houdini in disguise!).

budgies - maybe you have a point about the fox, although we havent seen one or seen evidence of one i will keep an eye out for it and we have a camera looking at the garden so i will ask my husband to set it up to detect any motion tonight.

 

on a good note we had one egg today and its the first dry day we've had so hopefully with a bit of sunshine and sunbathing this weekend they will pick up again

[Egluntyne]

Have you had a hunt round the garden to see if they have taken to laying under shrubs?

 

Have they been wormed lately? Checked for signs of external parasites?

 

All of these could have an impact on their laying.

[sarahphe]

we have searched the entire garden every day just in case but no eggs have been found, they were wormed on sunday and the house treated with mite powder but they have no visible mite infestation or any other parasites. i think theyre just being stubborn lol

[Egluntyne]

Is there any likelihood of someone tiptoeing in and helping themselves?

[sarahphe]

no one can get into the garden without destroying the fence.

 

we have had 2 eggs today however, so looks like the sun has had some effect on the chickens or it may just be a coincidence!

[Guest]

The sun does improve egg laying and the longer the daylight hours the more ovulation is stimulated, hence in the winter production drops off.

But I suppose they do have to have a break..when I built my wir I was a bit reluctant to put onduline on as a roof as I knew the sunshine may be blocked out.

Glad the eggs have resumed

indie