UHG! Im so annoyed!
I have a flock of 10 hens and 2 roos. I have one of those hens sitting on about 9 eggs that are due in 5 days, and the rest of the flock stopped laying! 6 of them had just started laying again after going through molt when the one (Mamma Fluffy Butt) went broody, I separated them out of their temporary free range area (25ftx100ft) and into the chicken run because they kept tryng to add to her eggs and we haven't finished out fencing to keep the neighbor dogs from chasing them. They used to just roam the entire yard but its not safe till we get all the chainlink up. They stopped laying for a day, then picked right back up. Now we have had days and days of rain, flash flooding, and they stopped layng all together. Its been a week now since I've gotten even one egg, and these girls are once a day layers usually, the oldest ones are only a year and a half so it shouldn't be age. I had to turn them loose again in the temp area which again is the same area my broody is (separate shelter from the run) because of the mudd mess in their run. They are on layer feed. I know a lack of sunlight will effect them, but I've never seen this happen just from a chain of storms! Is the broody effecting the flock? I did have to break her "sister" (Auntie Fluffy Butt-who is NOT allowed to hatch since she tends to break alot of eggs) from going broody since she tried to also, but can't figure why the others stopped laying! Bad weather combined with low sunlight plus a broody controlling the nest they like to use best???? Anyone know if or when I should expect to see them back to normal?!
