What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Mrs G]

Hi everyone,

 

I have three Miss Pepperpots, last year they continued to lay all through the year, with only the occasional day off. This year one has carried on to lay throughout, but the other two stopped laying in October (DH thinks earlier) and we've had nothing from them since. This is only their second year and they are all healthy and happy, two crouch when you approach them, but one runs away. What is going on???

 

Many thanks in advance

[Cooks]

Have you wormed them?

[chelsea]

Some breeds do take a "winter break" which could possibly be what has happend. With the onset of longer sunnier days the egg laying should kick in again soon.

 

I agree with CookieMonster above though - if you have not yet wormed them a course of Flubenvet wouldn't do any harm.

[Purplemaniacs]

Mine stopped during the winter but have started again now. My Pepperpot who is two only lays softies now, she used to lay every day. The girls gobble up the evidence so I only found out by careful chicken watching.

 

I agree with CookieMonster worm them and see if that makes a difference.

 

Good Luck

 

Chrissie

[Egluntyne]

I'd also check round the garden to see if they have got a secret stash of eggs under a shrub.

[Mrs G]

They have been regularly wormed, so don't think that is the problem, also because of my DH's adversion to having all his bulbs dug up by the girls we always keep an eye on them when they are out and about. Guess have to just keep our fingers and toes crossed they start again soon, not fair they are leaving all the work to one hen!!

[brambles]

My pepperpot is two and stopped laying at Christmas. Still no sign of eggs although she regularly stages a sit in in the nest box.

My gingernut ranger has also stopped laying - she had a long moult, laid again now nothing. All have been wormed. I hope this is not it at two years of age as it's going to be a long retirement.