- Jul 21, 2014
- 124
- 4
- 63
I actually have a couple of questions. I have four girls that I purchased at Tractor Supply (originally 6 but two were males and had to go). One is a production red - she is 27 weeks old and began laying at 20 weeks. There were three that said they were Brown Isis - but I'd just about bet they are BO. Two of those girls began laying at 21 weeks. They all have beautiful big red combs and waddles - but the largest and she is far larger than any of the other three - has an almost non-existent comb and waddle. Her comb - what there is - is nice and red - but if it is 1/4 inch - that is being generous. Same with the waddle. The other three all lay - but not Clucky Lucky. She doesn't even squat. I'm not as concerned about the laying because we get far more eggs than we can use but I would assume that by now she would have a mature comb and waddle and I equate that to the lack of her egg laying. I don't have a clue - but all the others when their waddles got big and red they began laying. Why at 27 weeks would she still have just a bit of fringe that has emerged. She is definitely not undersized - she is almost twice the size of the Production Red and much larger than her sisters. Do some chickens just not develop full waddles and combs. Could that be why she isn't laying?
Next - I am at my wits end. They have a nice coop to roost and a nice run area. Inside the coop they have nesting boxes that I have tried both the shavings and straw. I thought maybe they didn't like one so I tried the other. They absolutely refuse to lay in the nesting boxes. I have a clean out door and access to the boxes but we did not put in a back door under the coop. These darn girls dig them a hole at the back of the wall under the coop and lay their eggs in the dirt. I have to crawl in and crawl out with the eggs each day and with my old knees that is not an easy task. I have tried gathering their eggs and placing them in the nest boxes and leaving them there. I have tried putting Easter eggs in the nest boxes. I even took the nest boxes out of the coop and placed them under the coop in front of where they like to lay - hoping they would get used to it and we could eventually move them back in the coop - but no. They will go around the box and scratch out that hole. How can I discourage that and encourage the nest boxes. I am about to the point I am going to have my husband cut a door in the back of the wall under the coop so I don't have to crawl under. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Next - I am at my wits end. They have a nice coop to roost and a nice run area. Inside the coop they have nesting boxes that I have tried both the shavings and straw. I thought maybe they didn't like one so I tried the other. They absolutely refuse to lay in the nesting boxes. I have a clean out door and access to the boxes but we did not put in a back door under the coop. These darn girls dig them a hole at the back of the wall under the coop and lay their eggs in the dirt. I have to crawl in and crawl out with the eggs each day and with my old knees that is not an easy task. I have tried gathering their eggs and placing them in the nest boxes and leaving them there. I have tried putting Easter eggs in the nest boxes. I even took the nest boxes out of the coop and placed them under the coop in front of where they like to lay - hoping they would get used to it and we could eventually move them back in the coop - but no. They will go around the box and scratch out that hole. How can I discourage that and encourage the nest boxes. I am about to the point I am going to have my husband cut a door in the back of the wall under the coop so I don't have to crawl under. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
