Benaberry Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) Hello all After sitting and reading posts for a few weeks, I've finally taken the plunge, signed up and joined in! Still a newbie to chickens really, after a bit of a hit and miss start; original 'girls' arrived last July aged between 6-12 weeks from a local hobby breeder, we lost one girlie in early December (she never had seemed to thrive like the others), and then over Christmas found out that two were cockerals (I'd had suspicions about the Buff Orpington, but to find out the remaining Gold Laced Orp was crowing as well was a bit of a surprise!); breeder kindly agreed to replace them, as we'd had them young and he said at the time he was as confident as he could be, but not 100% guaranteed given their age. In spite of the above, we're now up and running with the following girlies: Delilah - Cream Legbar (last remaining of the original four, easily the most mischiveous, will use the washing line as a swing given the chance!) Matilda - Buff Orpington Florence - Gold Laced Orpington Bluebell - Bluebelle-type hybrid (bit of a spur of the moment purchase when we went to swap the cockerals!) Bluebell kindly presented us with eggs for the first time in early Feb, followed a couple of weeks later by gorgeous little blue ones from Delilah, and now Matilda (we think, her comb is a bit bigger and much redder than Florence's) has joined in as of last week - yesterday's offering was gorgeously spotty! A bit worried though about Delilah. As said, she started laying mid-Feb, and settled into a pattern pretty quickly, pretty much every other day, sometimes a two day break - averaging 3 or 4 eggs a week from her. However, she now hasn't laid anything for almost 2 weeks (will be two weeks on Saturday). Is this normal for a 'youngster' (she's actually about 9 months old, but the winter got in the way of her starting!) just coming into lay? I know they can be a bit intermittent to start with, but she was so regular, and then nothing for such a long gap. I've had a feel (when I can catch her!) and don't think she's eggbound, and she seems really well in herself; chattering - she's the one who always talks to you as you go up the garden to her - bright as a button, looks really well, bright eyes, glossy feathers, massive floppy red comb, and still crouches when I stroke her and sort of spreads her wings. Just not sure if this is a normal part of her starting up, or whether I really should be worried about her (plus, we love her sweet little blue eggs, they're so cute!). I'll post some pictures of the girls when I can get them to stay still for long enough! Edited March 17, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi, welcome to the forum! I don't know about anyone else but what I'd normally consider is: - is she eating normally? - is she pooing normally? - does she look the same (ie no loss of colour in comb / wattles etc) - is her behaviour normal other than not laying (ie still running about as usual, not hunched up, is she as talkative as usual, not unusually nervous etc) - has she had disruption to her routine (relocation etc) If the above looks OK, I'd bear with and just keep an eye on it (it may be worth worming her as a precaution though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benaberry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) thanks gongladosh in response: - is she eating normally? - like a horse! (i.e. it noticably increased when she came into lay, and has continued ever since - front of the queue for any treats handed out as well) - is she pooing normally? yes - does she look the same (ie no loss of colour in comb / wattles etc) - as in original post, looks really healthy, chatty, glossy feathers, bright red comb & wattles - is her behaviour normal other than not laying (ie still running about as usual, not hunched up, is she as talkative as usual, not unusually nervous etc) - nope, still mad as a hatter - running, chattering, escaping given the opportunity... - has she had disruption to her routine (relocation etc) - not as far as I know - still let out and put to bed at the same time, house hasn't moved, we haven't moved. No other new creatures to annoy her (just the same two cats & two dogs we've had since she arrived - but the dogs can't get within about 10 feet of the run anyway, as we've split the garden in two, and the chickens are at the veggie-growing, dog-free end) Hmmm, will keep an eye on her, and try worming just in case... Edited March 16, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benaberry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 should have said, I'll try worming them all though, just in case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 If she seems ok in every other way I'd not worry, it does take a while for them to get in to the swing of laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 A couple of mine have had a few weeks off at random times, don't worry if she is otherwise in good condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 If she's crouching bet she'll get going again soon. Could she be laying in bushes in the garden or is there any evidence of anyone eating the eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benaberry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 They're in a big run (just not as big as i'd like) during the day, and nowhere for them to hide the eggs - I have checked though, and looked all in the hen house as well, just in case she was burying them under the straw/shavings - even when they're out there's no real little hidy-holes in the bit of the garden they're restricted to - it's all bare branches and one sorry looking knee-high fig tree; no nice bushy green hiding places. The first few from her were all in the nest box nice and tidy next to the fakes (and the brown ones), so a bit mystified! I did wonder about egg eating, but assume there would be some evidence - broken shells or mess? nothing of the sort, and stil getting 1 or 2 eggs a day from Matilda & Bluebell with no problems (i.e. no-one snaffling them for a quick snack!). Hoping it is just that she's having a bit of a random couple of weeks as suggested - I guess I just thought that when I'd read it took them a while to get into the swing of things, that it meant you'd get an egg, then another one would turn up at a few days later etc, and eventually there would be a bit of a routine going, not a nice routine for three weeks or so then nothing for a fortnight! I don't think I realised chicken keeping would be quite so - confusing! at times. She's a right little madam too - (and dare I say it, my favourite, because of her cheekiness; the others are much more laid back) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benaberry Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 An update Went up the garden to the girls when I got home tonight, and low and behold, underneath the collection of feathery bums crammed into the nest boxes, was a little pointy , along with a and a So not only has Delilah started up again, it's my first day with three eggs! Little madam must have been waiting for me to worry about her to other people, have a giggle with her feathery friends, then prove me wrong.... Thank you all though for putting my mind at rest somewhat last night, I really was starting to get worried about her after what seemed like such a big gap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
