beapea Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 We have 4 chickens, 18 and 30 months old, who were laying 3 or 4 eggs a day till 3 weeks ago and now they're down to 1 a day. Same layers pellets, wormed in March, no signs of mites etc. The only thing that's changed is that a large colony of rooks have been robbing the feeders but the chickens haven't gone short. Could the invaders have affected the chicks in some way? Help, please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 They could be stressing them out, which will affect their laying. I've no idea whether they would rob the nesting boxes of eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryKate Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 I have been blaming the rain for my two girls laying lots of softies. But now I am wondering whether it might be the 'visiting rook family'. There were four of them in the FR area some days ago and my girls just looked on as one of the rooks calmly ate out of their porridge bowl. I keep scaring them off, but I think they may have burst one of Marleen's softies and have now got a taste for something better than chook porridge! The rooks seem to arrive in the late afternoon or evening and that is when we get the softies. Like you, I make sure the girls do not go without but the rooks come in numbers and my two seem pretty overwhelmed by their prescence. If it would stop raining, I could get out into the garden a bit more and maybe my presence would scare them off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beapea Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 Thank you both. A neighbour has seen rooks taking eggs from his henhouse but I've no reason to think they've found their way into our Cube so I'm still mystified. And now one of the Orpingtons has started to moult - in JUNE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Rooks/crows certainly stole my pekin eggs last year. They would line up on the fence until they laid then calmly take the eggs. Tried everything to deter them but had to move the hens in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
