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No eggs in a week

post #1 of 5
6/26/12 at 2:21pm
Thread Starter 

So I've only had these hens since April 1st and I got three of them as about 3 1/2 month old pullets and the other one was about 2 1/2 months old when I got her. At the beginning of this month my Barred Rock started laying about one egg a day for about two weeks and my Buff Orpington has only been laying about a week. Now only my Buff is laying about one egg a day and my Barred Rock hasn't been laying any eggs for about a week. Now she looks to be in good health, she's squawks up a storm when we go out there, and when we let them out to free range in our yard a little before dusk, she's moving around, eating grass, pecking at the ground, giving herself a dust bath and bugging us for a treat. Her tail is up, her eyes are bright, her comb is "perky" ( is that a thing with chickens? Perky combs? tongue.png) and she's just not acting sick or like she's egg-bound. We've consulted the two books that were recommended to us, Storey's guide to raising chickens and the Chicken health handbook, and we are stumped. Also, isn't it a little early for them to be laying eggs? Any help from experienced mama hens out there? Thanks!

Living it up in Tucson, AZ with three cattle dogs, a German Shepherd, a "wild" kitty, and four hens with the most ridiculous names! My life is GOOD! 

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Living it up in Tucson, AZ with three cattle dogs, a German Shepherd, a "wild" kitty, and four hens with the most ridiculous names! My life is GOOD! 

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post #2 of 5
6/26/12 at 6:34pm

Sixteen weeks is a little early but not unheard-of.  This time of year, my guess is always the heat.  Is it as hot in AZ as it is in TX?  When it gets hot, they start using nutritional resources to do things besides lay eggs.

 

Try providing more water sources and maybe some extra protein treats like scrambled eggs.  But remember, she's new to this, so she might just be getting her machinery in order.  ;)

~Beth~  Group Chicken Blog ~Homesteading Blog ~My thoughts on Coccidiosis~~Basic Cocci Facts~~

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~Beth~  Group Chicken Blog ~Homesteading Blog ~My thoughts on Coccidiosis~~Basic Cocci Facts~~

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post #3 of 5
6/26/12 at 6:35pm

New layers do not always lay like clock work.  They start, they skip days, and they lay funny eggs. 

If they were three and a half months on April 1st, that's ten weeks.  June 1st they were eighteen weeks, that is a little early.  Since you didn't have them from hatch there may have been some slippage in counting their age. 

I don't get better with age, only more confused(ing).

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I don't get better with age, only more confused(ing).

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post #4 of 5
7/3/12 at 6:57am
Thread Starter 

When you say weird eggs, does this include shell-less, and yolk-less eggs every now and again?

Living it up in Tucson, AZ with three cattle dogs, a German Shepherd, a "wild" kitty, and four hens with the most ridiculous names! My life is GOOD! 

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Living it up in Tucson, AZ with three cattle dogs, a German Shepherd, a "wild" kitty, and four hens with the most ridiculous names! My life is GOOD! 

Reply
post #5 of 5
7/3/12 at 6:15pm

Eggs missing components, yes that is part of what I meant.  Also the added yokes, the odd size eggs as well.

I don't get better with age, only more confused(ing).

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I don't get better with age, only more confused(ing).

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