Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[the_martian]

A question for more experienced hen-keepers than me (which is just about everybody).

 

We've had our 4 girls for about 3 months now, living in a cube. 3 are laying fine, but the fourth hasn't yet laid at all, and doesn't look like doing so. Shes looks a little lighter (in weight) than the others. I don't think she's being pecked or bullied, but when I watch them eating, she's the one who gets elbowed out of the way. Even if I offer treats by hand, she's the one most reticent about taking food while the others happily grab whatever I've got.

 

Can I (or do I need to) do anything about this, or should I just accept that she'll always be the baby of the gang?

 

thanks

 

Martin

[Jools]

Is she the same breed and age as the others?

 

There is always someone at the bottom of the pecking order and provided she's not being unduly picked on and does get to eat and drink, she should be okay in that respect.

[chelsea]

Hi Martin,

 

There will always be a pecking order and it sounds like your little'un is the bottom. Our smallest one-eyed hen is at the bottom also but she is happy in her own way and tends to go about doing her own thing I wouldn't worry too much, but keep an eye on her in case of any serious pecking incidents.

 

Having multiple feed/grit/water stations in your run would be a good idea so that she can get to them without bother.

 

Maybe she's a bit immature compared to the others and will lay soon. This gloomy dark weather isn't helping as it's dark during the day aswell.

[Macfoy]

Although I agree with the above posts I would also like to add my bit too. Sometimes you get a bird which is classed as a "poor doer". They happen in cattle, sheep, pigs as well.

Of course in a commercial setting the poor doer will be culled.

 

Your chook sounds to me like a poor doer, she may have some mysterious internal problem, maybe a poorly functioning liver or something like that , nothing life threatening, but she may never end up being an egg layer, being pushed away from the food is a tell tale sign of things not right. Bullies will bully others out of the way, but the bullied will go back, a poor doer will not particularly make any effort to go back until later.

 

What to do...........Leave it and see is the easiest option, if she is a poor doer nothing will improve, you could try and seperate her to give her chance to feed more often and build up some strength. If she has something not right inside then I doubt the vet will be able to help.

 

If she is, as suggested just a little backwards in development then she will grow and eventually become a layer.

 

As with everything, no two birds are alike and they are not all perfect either.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Macfoy

[Mattaz]

Unfortunatel she's at the bottom of the pecking order. Just make sure you give your girls plenty of food so she can take food the other 3 left over. About the eggs, well every hen lays at a different time. My two new hens were a month apart of starting to lay eggs. Im sure after a lot of patience she'll be fine. Make sure you give her a lot of calcium so it will help create the eggs.

[Carol U]

It is quite relevant whether she is the same breed as the others and also whether she is the same age. The start of egg laying will vary quite a bit depending on the above. Also, since she hasn't started to lay before the long dark evenings, she probably won't now until the days get longer again. She sounds quite immature still, so I wouldn't worry about it at all. She'll catch up when she's ready.

[Jools]

Your chook sounds to me like a poor doer, she may have some mysterious internal problem, maybe a poorly functioning liver or something like that , nothing life threatening, but she may never end up being an egg layer

 

That crossed my mind too Macfoy, particularly if she is the same age and breed as the others.

[Egluntyne]

Yes I have got a 'poor doer'. She has never really amounted to much and is frightened of her own shadow.

 

I regularly hoik her out and let her feed her face, unmolested.

[the_martian]

Thanks for the responses.

 

The bids are all the same age and breed (Bevan Goldlines aka Gingernut Ranger) from the same breeder and all purchased at the same time. I can't separate the little one out due to lack of space, but I will put a separate feeder in as I've got a spare grub feeder anyway.

 

She's not missing any feathers, so I don't think the others are being beastly to her, she's just not very good at pushing through the crowd to get food. Oh well, 3 good layers out of 4 is a pretty good percentage so I shan't wory unduly and will just keep an eye on her.

 

Martin

[sjp]

could she be younger than the other 3?

[shoura]

I've got a similar situation, got 4 hybrids mid-august, one started laying a few weeks later, another one about a month after that, and a third one only started about 3 weeks ago, and the 4th still isn't laying but as she is perfectly well and not getting bullied I expect she may just start when the days start to get a bit longer....

[Clur]

Thanks for the responses.

 

The bids are all the same age and breed (Bevan Goldlines aka Gingernut Ranger) from the same breeder and all purchased at the same time. I can't separate the little one out due to lack of space, but I will put a separate feeder in as I've got a spare grub feeder anyway.

 

She's not missing any feathers, so I don't think the others are being beastly to her, she's just not very good at pushing through the crowd to get food. Oh well, 3 good layers out of 4 is a pretty good percentage so I shan't wory unduly and will just keep an eye on her.

 

Martin

 

We had 3 Bovan Goldlines and one never laid at all - ever. She was the head of the pecking order though, but never came to much in the laying eggs stakes! I don't think it's that uncommon?

[JS1]

Just wondered if they'd been wormed with Flubenvet? One of ours was smaller than the others and stopped laying until we did that.