Could it be HENOPAUSE?

[bmichlig]

Ok, here's the scoop - 4 Araucana hens in their third summer, 8 in their suspected second summer (hatched spring 08). They roam about a nice sized yard freely, have a lovely and secure indoor coop for safety. Eat well - pellet crumble, scratch and daily meals of organic brow rice, cottage cheese, corn or peas plus spinach leaves and other greens, the occasional pear and avocado.

Nobody is molting, everyone is in good health, happy, content.

And I average about 3 eggs a day. Some days, only one, most days 2 or three. Sad, for a flock of a dozen (well, 11 - one is a cross beak and really small, so I don't want her to lay, anyway.)

No sign of breakage in or around any of the three next boxes in the coop - someone occasionally lays a ground egg inside (I think it's the flat footed one who can't walk up the ladder well). No signs of cannibalism - wet straw, shell bits. No secret hiding place in the yard. And no where near the number of eggs I feel I deserve.

Do hens just sorta "dry up" so fast? I would have thought they'd be viable for longer than a season.

Any suggestions? No, I won't eat them, so I'm stuck with a bunch of apparently ungrateful birds who have no idea how good they have it.


Thanks!

-b.

 

[tellynpeep]

I had a very similar situation. Then I found several nests well hidden in the woods and under brush piles. One of them had 15 eggs in it. It may be that they are laying just fine.... only hiding them.
Time for and Easter-egg hunt?

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I can't really help you but to say that I noticed that my older girls have also been slowing down lately, much more than I would expect. Maybe it's the change of seasons??? I really have no idea.

Those of yours that are going into the third summer may be slowing down some due to age, but I think you still should be getting more eggs than you do. Those hatched in spring '08 certainly should still be laying very well.

As another poster mentioned, it's very possible they are "hiding" them.

Good luck!

Genie

 

[bmichlig]

Thanks for the suggestions. After careful searching in all parts of the open orchard yard, no hidden nests and no yard eggs were discovered.

So, something else is going on. it's like they've been unduly influenced by the SEIU or something. NO production (3 eggs a day from 12 girls is all we get). One of my original older girls dutifully lays every day, and 2 of the "new" birds. So the production disruption is fairly well split between 06 hatched and 08 hatched.

Health seems solid, waste matter seems normal and healthy, environment is clean and safe. Is there anything else to be done to get them going again?

Thanks!

-b.