Current Internet Theory

[CloneFly]

I agree with happy hens or not being a part of it. I don't think so about the cuddles though. At least not directly.

Chickens are prey; being cuddled (held and or petted) is not a good thing according to their instincts. They can learn that it is ok but it isn't fundamentally a good thing like it is for many mammals.

Feathers, or the nerves the stiff feather shafts are connected to, are particularly sensitive during molt, if I understand correctly.

Indirectly, I can see cuddling contributing to happier hens through paying more (or different) attention to them. If one doesn't otherwise. I think that is why talking to plants benefits them. We are more likely to notice things and be more responsive to small changes, good or bad.

The key is: if one doesn't pay as much attention otherwise.

I agree about the cuddles not being a direct cause. Sorry, wrote all that at 3am so I didn't clarify

The amount of attention and care given to a bird though, I believe can/will effect production. I've always been very hands on with my girls, so they'll come up begging for attention. Those birds that are more hands off and unused to physical interaction will obviously behave differently. In short, what I failed to clarify earlier was that perhaps it's the daily surroundings, living conditions, mental stim and care that they get that may be a cause- not root of the problem- for those that are experiencing decreased production. Not just cuddles

 

[Sherry68lynn]

It's antibodies NOT antibiotics.

Yes I know, spell check got me..

 

[Sherry68lynn]

Chickens are preyed upon so they hide illness very well.. if you are an experienced chicken owner, you know that it sometimes is very difficult to diagnose a chicken that is not well until it is obvious which sometimes is too late. Especially, if you have a lot of chickens. If you have a very small flock it is a lot easier. There could be many things wrong with the feed that wouldn’t show a problem except for egg production such as lowered protein. My girls are certainly not anorexic so I would never think that they were nutritionally being deprived and I know that is being ignorant because looking healthy doesn’t mean they are getting everything they need to produce and egg.

 

[Bhubbard]

That why I said some.

Though, I do wonder if folks worm their birds often? Within the goat world high worm count can effect milk production. I'm guilty of not worming my hens (They free range however I will be radically changing our set up this year including worming routine.)

Careful on just worming to worm. My goat world is dealing with that in my region. A lot of worms are just resistant to the dewormers now. It’s a huge problem. So now when worm count is high by the time I see pale eyelids in goats or too skinny it’s too late. Worms are great at becoming resistant to meds. Not saying you don’t know this and plan a schedule just more for people scrolling through reading.

 

[miss heny]

Careful on just worming to worm. My goat world is dealing with that in my region. A lot of worms are just resistant to the dewormers now. It’s a huge problem. So now when worm count is high by the time I see pale eyelids in goats or too skinny it’s too late. Worms are great at becoming resistant to meds. Not saying you don’t know this and plan a schedule just more for people scrolling through reading.

Oh don't worry we work with MSU on worming protocols with our goats, but I know most home flocks don't even do fecal count checks to see if it even needed.

 

[Bhubbard]

Oh don't worry we work with MSU on worming protocols with our goats, but I know most home flocks don't even do fecal count checks to see if it even needed.

That’s awesome

 

[3KillerBs]

Lowkey wonder if some of the people with missing eggs are getting Punked by their birds said hens off hiding eggs somewhere to attempt to hatch fifty chicks.

I'd thought my California White had stopped laying a month after she started -- then a few weeks later I found a nest with several weeks' accumulation in it.

A month later she tried it again.

Some hens are infinitely creative.

 

[miss heny]

I'd thought my California White had stopped laying a month after she started -- then a few weeks later I found a nest with several weeks' accumulation in it.

A month later she tried it again.

Some hens are infinitely creative.

We sorta nerfed ourselves encouraging our feral flock to... well be feral. They develop the habit if we collect their eggs they move to a new nest akin to if they loose their nest to a predator.

 

[Bhubbard]

We sorta nerfed ourselves encouraging our feral flock to... well be feral. They develop the habit if we collect their eggs they move to a new nest akin to if they loose their nest to a predator.

So it’s like a daily Easter egg hunt lol … I had one that would sneak off to goat barn and lay in a corner like 200 yards from coop. But seemed to be her favorite spot!

 

[miss heny]

So it’s like a daily Easter egg hunt lol … I had one that would sneak off to goat barn and lay in a corner like 200 yards from coop. But seemed to be her favorite spot!

Yup, but unfortunately they will sneak into neighbor's pine tree forest/farm and I aint jumping our fence topped with barb wire for that already get enough scowling from doctors