Chickens not laying since moving to tractor

[dubwise]

Hello all. We're running two chicken tractors and one standard (8x8 house). We moved five RIR's into one tractor June-1 and two RIR's into another tractor the same day. The other 15 RIR's are in the house & yard. All of the chickens are two years old and they all get the same food. The tractor chickens get a little less of the feed because they're mobile. The chickens in the house have continued to lay eggs daily. The birds in the tractors have stopped laying. The first day they were in we got eggs...both were broken (due to not putting enough pine bark & hay in the nesting boxes...but this has been remedied (i think). Could the material that is in their nesting boxes be the reason they've quit laying eggs, or is it something else? Thanks!

 

[redsoxs]

I think it's just the change. Chickens frequently stop laying at even minor changes like the addition or removal of a bird in the flock. But a move is a big deal to a chicken. Give it a few days and they should start back up.

 

[centrarchid]

Chicken tractors can trap a lot of heat and such stress can shut egg production down.

 

[dubwise]

Thanks for the replies...I'm going to put a thermometer in the tractor and start measuring that. I don't necessarily think it's the move...though I agree that they are very temperamental, it's been almost two months and they're not producing, that seems too long for an environmental change. Thanks again!

 

[centrarchid]

Make certain egg eating is not occurring.

 

[dubwise]

By what? A snake or other critter? It quite possibly could be, we've got plenty of those things around here....but wouldn't I see some kind of scuff or marks where they would enter? I've not had that problem yet (snakes eating eggs) but that really could be it..

 

[centrarchid]

Hens themselves could be doing it. They will often consume shell as well.

 

[dubwise]

what? I've never heard that before! Why would they do that? How can I prevent this?

 

[dubwise]

okay, after much reading today, I've got lots to do in the tractors. thanks for opening my eyes to some potential problems.