Eglu Cube Coop and Accessories

[Larkie]

My 3 hens that have always been failry regular layers seem to be laying very oddly lately. Mrs Ming, a black rock, is pretty good but not quite as reliable as usual, Banana the bantam went broody recently (fairly common for her) and has not layed for a week now - longer than it usually takes for her to restart laying. The really odd one is Daisy - she stopped laying when she moulted, producing nothing for almost 2 months. She laid 2 eggs at the beginning of last week, with a break of a day in between each which seemed fine, but she hasn't laid anything since which doesn't seem right. Is there any reason why the hens' laying pattern should be so disrupted - no fireworks or frights etc that I'm aware of and no other changes

 

thanks for anyone who can help

[Egluntyne]

If you haven't wormed them it might be worth giving them a course of Flubenvet as worms can have an impact on their laying.

 

Have you checked them over for lice?

 

I'd also try confining them to their run and cutting out treats for a few days to see if that kick starts them.

[Larkie]

Thanks - I have confined them to their run sadly, partly because we wondered if stoats had been taking eggs before we'd found them, but I will also cut treats out if you think it may help. I think I wormed them just before christmas but I'll do it again just in case, and I'll have alook for lice.

 

thanks

[tom123]

As Egluntyne said, worm them and see if that helps.

 

I assure you Stoats won't be taking the eggs, they'll be taking the birds. I've been there!

[Larkie]

Oh dear that must have been horrible. Maybe I've been lucky as I have lost eggs - maybe to squirrels, but i've regularly seen stoats in the garden. Maybe my dopey dogs do have a use after all.

 

thanks

[tom123]

They don't generally go for hens in the day but make sure they can't get into your coop at night e.g. through onduline roofing. Also check the inside of the coop at night with a torch as they hide under the straw in the day