Egg, no egg

[Srcher]

We have the hens in a 2' fence, they don't fly out unless they get startled and then we just herd the fugitive back in thru the gate, it also keeps our two little rescue Chihuahuas in. The woman we got the two ladies from had a lot of chickens, all different types. She said they were a year old in Nov. 2011. She said they had stopped laying for a while, when we got them home we waited about two weeks and started getting eggs from them (7 or 8) but since then, nothing. Don't think they are show chickens. Ya know, the comment about letting them out in the afternoon I may try, we have been letting them out into the backyard around 7 a.m., maybe they are just to busy snatching bugs to go up and lay. The other chickens take turns going into one of the two boxes and laying. Then they come out into the yard clucking, loudly I might add, and letting me know they have left a little something in the box. I will try letting them out later, thanks for all the comments and helpful advice. My other chickens are Marans, one cuckoo, two blacks, the cuckoo is "Momma Hen", the other two are Penny and Natalie. One last thing, my one concern was that their poop is not so much poop as it is squirts, should I be concerned about this?

 

[Srcher]

Well I have sad news, the pic of my chicken Jean in this thread died, so did her friend Marilyn. I am at a complete loss of what happened. They both, since we got them, had loss ugly stools, they laid only a few complete eggs since before Easter. They both acted the same before they died, they were listless, and uninterested in even the rattle of the treat bag. I barely got Jean separated before she violently convulsed squawked and just died. Marilyn started acting the same way so we separated her and started antibiotics, she drank a lot, a whole lot, ate a little but mostly just layed down near the water. Tonite while sitting on the porch we heard her squawking, we ran over to the garage and she was dead, VERY quick. We have saved her body and think we should have her ck'ed out. I am concerned about my other three hens, Natalie, Momma, and Penny. This was an lesson learned. I WILL NEVER BUY AN ADULT CHICKEN FROM ANYONE AGAIN. I am sad my hens are gone, we didn't have them long but they had neat personalities. The woman we got them from had some sick chicks but they were not near these guys and she said the chicks were all well, she also said the two hens we got had stopped laying for some reason, molting maybe. She had a lot of chickens and her daughters showed hers and their goats and such. So against my better judgemt we bought Jean and Marilyn, bad mistake evidently, never again. We may not have a choice depending on what killed them. This was also an expensive mistake, $60 this woman wanted for these two chicken, being new, we paid, boy did we pay. So wish me luck that my remaining three ladies don't get sick. Thanks for your help and advice.

 

[yorklady]

I am so sorry! Your girls were beautiful. It is so traumatic to lose one, let alone two of your chicks.If you decide to raise them from chicks you will enjoy it so much.

 

[Snooglerat]

So sorry your girls died I learned my lesson about adult birds also. Bought a beautiful Buff Orp hen and she was dead the next morning. I was thankful I hadn't put her with my other chickens. Do you think you will get a few chicks instead?

 

[Srcher]

No chicks till we find out what killed Jean and Marilyn, exactly 1 week apart. I need to call the state or extension office to see if the one hen should be tested, just cleaned the isolation cage out with bleach. If we get any more it will be in the spring so they can ease into winter and summer. We are new at chicken, my dad had some but that was a long time ago. This incident has made me a little skittish. In the spring maybe, that's when life starts again.Thanks for your sympathies, BYC people are a kind bunch.