Colorado

[Minchi]

I am sorry about your loss Ashdoes, I have tried golf balls but not much. I will try that again.

 

[Percheron chick]

Roll away nest boxes.

 

[oshun55555]

I have kept wooden eggs in the nest boxes when I have had a hen eat eggs, I have an 8 year Light Brahma hen that used to eat eggs about 5 years ago the wooden eggs worked and she still no longer eats the eggs, however you have to gather the eggs very frequently while you are breaking her and only leave the wooden ones, they give up after awhile. Periodically I will get an egg eater over the years and I just do the wooden eggs again, and never have killed a bird for egg eating, I kill them for not laying. YUM stew hens.

 

[Debbie82]

Ash,

How worried should I be about the cream legbars i got from you? Mine seem to be thriving and eating the pellet with my older girls just fine.

 

[Double Kindness]

My 17 month old ameracuna hasn't laid an egg in 4.5 months, she's joining 25 other chickens and 3 ducks headed to freezer camp within 6 weeks. I'm not going to be able to hold onto any slacking laying hens now I have so many other chickens. They are feeding us one way or another...

 

[Ashdoes]

Yours are pretty old now, and we've not had issues with our older ones. I'm not sure what's up with these ones, the Cochins that are about the same age haven't had any issues.

 

[COChix]

@Ash, sorry for your loss. Hope it is nothing too serious with your girls.

Yea, can someone let this newbie in on what is a mustard egg?

 

[Mtn Margie]

My 17 month old ameracuna hasn't laid an egg in 4.5 months, she's joining 25 other chickens and 3 ducks headed to freezer camp within 6 weeks. I'm not going to be able to hold onto any slacking laying hens now I have so many other chickens. They are feeding us one way or another...

She is probably in her 18 month molt, a usually heavy one for the ladies and they will stop laying until the days get longer. She should start again early Jan.

Ash - So sorry and I sincerely hope it is nothing to affect the health of the entire flock.

 

[Mtn Margie]

@Ash, sorry for your loss. Hope it is nothing too serious with your girls.

Yea, can someone let this newbie in on what is a mustard egg?

A mustard filled egg to convince hens to not eat eggs. Some say it works, some add cayenne pepper.... I use wooden fake eggs and increase protein, 20% -25% , especially this time of year when they are molting, because growing feathers increases their protein requirements dramatically.

 

[Double Kindness]

I give mine 18% protein soy free organic non gmo ff feed by ranch way. She stopped laying eggs almost 5 months ago, is that correct, I should just keep her and she's going to start laying again in another 4 months? 10 months off laying for molting? Am I understanding this right?

I have feed from 18%-26% protein. I'd love all 9 hens to be laying on the regular, but a few aren't yet as 3 haven't started yet. I have more chicks/pullets that I was going to move into my laying flock when they're big enough, Oreo and Cookie, both are my haffies.