A couple questions

[Equus]

Hi again! I have a couple of questions. Quick background since I'm new, but I did intro myself a while ago. We started with 3 chicks in the end of April and by end of June added 7 more to the flock. They free range in our fenced yard. We have multiple breeds. Ancona, black stars, easter eggers, and chanteclers.

1)The three original gals are 1 Easter egger and the 2 chanteclers. They will be 36 weeks at the end of this month, we have yet to see an egg. They are in a fenced portion of the yard with limited places to hide eggs. We have set porcelain eggs in the nesting boxes. Easter egger seems the closest with squatting and opening her wings when picked up. Her vent looks big-ish. They have a gravity-fed feeder with layer feed, free choice dish of crushed oyster shells, and occasional treats like scratch mix and chicken friendly scrap produce. We are in Iowa so short days right now and cool temps. Are these girls not laying because of the short daylight hours or do I have a bigger problem?

2) We have one Ancona, she is very pretty and almost like a songbird when she talks. We really enjoy her. She was our only pasty butt experience and she was pretty disgusting when she got her juvenile feathers. Her skin was incredibly crusty and she'd shed flakes of skin - some large pieces too. She's outgrown that, but the other day after cleaning the coop and laying new bedding in for them she was in there checking out what I was up too, and my son caught her and put her in my lap. She smells awful. Like roadkill on a hot day awful. Not not real strong but unpleasant enough I didn't want to hold her. We don't see her take dust baths. Is she just my gross girl or? We like her just the same, but she's just been so different hygiene wise compared to our others. The rest of the birds all dust bathe in my garden and my sons old sandbox.

Thanks in advance!

 

[azygous]

Spring chicks may not lay their first fall. The days getting shorter each day simply doesn't cooperate with laying hormones. Of my spring chicks, just one has begun to lay. It's wise not to expect eggs until after January when the lengthening days will trigger laying hormones. That's not to say you couldn't have a surprise egg.

The road kill odor may be from an infected wound or from a seriously impacted crop. Both are very serious and you need to examine this chicken from head to toe. If there's an infected wound, it may be hidden under her feathers.

An impacted crop will feel very full and solid. There will be a putrid odor coming from her beak as the contents are rotting since they can't empty. The cause of impacted crop is often lack of suitable grit they need for their gizzard. The treatment for this condition is labor intensive. If the contents are long stemmed grass or hay or straw, crop surgery may be needed if the contents don't respond to ordinary treatment. Here is how to treat crop disorders.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Equus]

Thank you for your informative response!

I suspected the short days were playing into our gals not laying yet. Confirmation from someone whose more experienced is comforting though.

For the ancona, I forgot to add above that they do have a dish of grit available. Her crop felt fine when I held her. I will check again since I have something to look for now and will look her over for an injury/infection. Thank you for the link. Going to check it out right now!