- Sep 16, 2013
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Our flock is all Orpingtons, about 10 mature hens (3-4 years old), one Big Papa buff Orpington roo and three not-quite mature roos that are being rehomed soon. We had three successful hatches over the summer and right now have 5 babies that hatched mid-September. On August 21, there was a helicopter fly-over in our neighborhood and the chopper ended up circling our acreage for 45 minutes or so, and it freaked the whole flock right out. They didn't lay again for almost a month, which I suppose is to be expected, but now all the hens from our summer hatches have matured and the rest of the flock is relatively young, so why the continued delay? Do they need more daylight now that it is dark earlier and if so, when should they have it? It is worth noting that the flock has about an acre to free-range all day and is very secure in their heated (when it's cold enough or snowing) house at night; I have checked the tall grass and the woods and have not found any eggs there. We are getting maybe 2 eggs a day and more often none. Please help!