11 month old hens in Florida not laying well...

LOL that is hilarious! I actually looked under and around the riding mower, wondering if they had gotten in there somehow!
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I miss my big brown eggs, is all I know!
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its winter do you add light, mine stopped laying for other reasons in the autumn but just started laying again last week, so your egg production may start up again.
 
hmmm... I have not added a light... maybe I'll try that. I didn't know if it was necessary in FL, but it sure sounds like it won't hurt!
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I also live in sunny Florida lol. I think the hard freezes we got in Dec. stopped mine. The only one that skipped one day was the Leghorn. They quit third wk. in Dec and didn't start again untill the end of Jan. The only one that still isn't laying is the EE but she also went through a real hard molt while the others didn't. Oh they have a light, didn't make a difference.
 
I realize this post is a couple weeks old here. I have to say though, I have been trying to figure out my RIR!
We started with our first chicks last year - April, anxiously awaited the eggs. Finally started getting them in September or so... from one, then another. We Had 5 hens and were up to 4 eggs per day, We had not figured out who was not laying yet. Our girls free range, but in the winter they spent some extra time in the coop.
Anyways, we had an unfortunate visitor (coon) attack two of our girls last month. Down to 3 girls now. Egg production down to two per day.. which we figured b/c the two we lost we knew one was laying and pretty sure the other was.
So - Our orphington went broody on us, now down to one egg a day so we figured she was the layer along with our Amaracauna who we knew was laying b/c she was the only blue egg.
So this leaves us with our RIR who as far as we know has never laid an egg! We have searched the yard. We have had them confined to the coop and minimal ground space for a couple days, so if she were laying you would think her egg would appear.
Not a ton of places to lay eggs. We do have a little space under a deck I have tried to look in. Need to get one of the kids under therefor a closer look, but it doesn't look like anything is under there.
So is the RIR just a dud layer? We wait for our surprise.

So two questions: 1. if you find a stash of eggs from who knows when, but they all look good, would you keep them? Eat them?
2. Once a hen goes broody and stops laying, how long until she decides to lay again. She has stopped and has been up, out and about for just a couple days now.

Thanks - the mysteries of chickens.
 
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You can do a float test to tell if they are still good, but I personally toss or feed to the dogs any egg that I have a ? about.
Each broody is different. Some will go back to laying quickly, others will not lay again for weeks or even months.
 
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Welcome to BYC I see you are a relative neqbie to the Forum, but it doesn't sound like your a newbi to chickens.. Glad your here!
 
Welcome to BYC I see you are a relative neqbie to the Forum, but it doesn't sound like your a newbi to chickens.. Glad your here!

Thanks. I have tried to research a lot as we got into this. I love the chickens they are great. I love this website too... lots to search when you have a question so there are a lot of answers already out there, I don't post a lot. Looking forward to spring/ summer and getting out with the girls more.

You can do a float test to tell if they are still good, but I personally toss or feed to the dogs any egg that I have a ? about.

Thanks - float test. I agree that I'd probably toss them too, but I'd be happy to know she is laying!! I also figured after I typed this out that it is most likely that anything she laid this winter has frozen and cracked open if some other roving animal hasn't found them.

Thanks all​
 
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You could check the vent of the RIR and also feel the spaces between her tail and pelvis, and between the bones of her pelvis, to see if she is laying or not... not sure if she is a pet, or if you would cull her if she is not laying, but at any rate it can be good info to have... esp. if you are looking for an egg stash!
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