Black Copper Marans Stopped Laying - Is it the dog or weather?

[jt673]

Hi All, We have 3 French Black Copper Marans who were laying on average 2 eggs every other day (between the three of them). We recently put our dog out longer hours during the day since last week (Around Wednesday to be exact).

Now, we have not had a single egg laid since last Thursday...

Is it our dog? Is he stressing them out or is the time of year where they slow down because of the weather changes. I also noticed they are molting a bit. Not heavy, but enough to collect feathers along the sides of the run?

Any advice and insight to the cause so that I can correct it will be much appreciated!! They just turned 1 year old on Labor Day to give an idea of their age. What can I try to help them get back into their laying groove..?

Thanks all

 

[sgtmom52]

My bet would be on the molt and time of the year.

 

[jt673]

Quote:
That is what I was hoping to be the reason. I would hate to keep our dog inside more than he needs to,, but he keeps jumping on their coop and scaring the mess out of them! I go and yank him away, but he is a 5 month old 60 lb Cane Corso who is going to be twice that size before we know it and I need to nip all bad behaviours now while he is still manageable (size wise for me). Any suggestions on how to curb his jumping at the chickens? I really do not want him stressing them out. Our Cayuga girls just fuss at him when he goes near their pen, but the chickens do not have much of a "bark"

Any suggestions would be great. How long will this molt last? Are they done for the year? THis is the first Fall/Winter with them in a laying cycle.

Thanks again

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Do you see feathers? I was going to ask if the dog was harrassing them, but you answer that. I think its the dog. Your going to have to train it yesterday. Its going to take a lot of hard work on your part. If you don't you will loose your birds to stress. When I was a kid I had 5 finch that died of heart attack when the cat got in the room.

 

[jt673]

Quote:
I do see feathers along the sides of their run and a few in the coop. I am working with our dog, but it seems that it is going to take a lot more. Cane Corsos are dominant breeds that do not mature until their 2nd and 3rd year for males. He is only 5 months....I put him inside and am only letting him out to use the bathroom the rest of this week to see if the Marans get back to laying or not. I just had this gut feeling that its him, but was hoping it might be a molt and weather combination.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

It could be a combination of the 2 .I know how hard it is to train some dogs especially when your breaking natural instinct but it can be done. I had whippet and greyhound in a yard with a free range rabbit, the dogs knew my rabbit was off limit to them but it didn't stop them chasing the wild one