So much going on here, and so much to catch up on. I was gone all of December and until mid-January, then caught the nasty bug that's been going around, so I've been really out of it. Anyway, I have loved your many posts and have had many good laughs, as well as silently sent my best wishes for you who are recovering from accidents, illnesses and losses or facing surgery.
I have a flock of five: 2 EE, BCM, SS, and Bantam English Chocolate Orpington. Right now I am getting eggs from the BCM and SS around 3 each per week. My Orpington hasn't laid since her mid-summer molt, but I love her, so she eats free. The younger of my EEs is finally squatting, so hopefully she'll lay soon.
The problem is my older EE. She started laying - finally, at 9 months - in December, and my housesitter got 2 eggs from her, then nothing - or so we thought. Right after I got back, we discovered her cache of SIX lovely green eggs under the compost tumbler in a pile of old stray. Since the discovery of her eggs, which I hardboiled, she has laid one egg, and then stopped again. I've looked everywhere, but if she's laying, she has hidden them really well. If she's just quit laying, why??
I feed them a lot of protein and greens with their layer crumbles, so I don't think that's the reason for her stopping. Any ideas? I have a tiny back yard, and there just aren't that many places she can go. The others use my nesting boxes, which still have golf balls in them for incentive. Your thoughts/advice will be much appreciated.
On a different note, my son is flying me to England for March and Easter, and I had hoped to bring back some English Orpington hatching eggs, but the cost looks to be WAYYYY outside of my budget, not to mention the question of whether they would even hatch, given the altitude, lack of oxygen, and low humidity. Unless someone can inspire me again try it, I may just be admiring what I find, not trying to make anything my own.
long time no post but welcome back!
