Hen layed 5 eggs... then stopped...

[chickenlickin8]

Hi, I can understand where you are coming from. I have an Australorp "Molly" that laid 3 eggs at 4 months 1 week old and then stopped. She just started again this week and she is not using the nest boxes yet. She is now 5 month. I think their bodies have to get use to producing eggs and they don't start full production until after 6 months. Plus it also depends on the breed they are. I looked for high yield egg laying breeds when I purchased all mine. I have 1 Australorp, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Red Sex Link, 1 Black Sex Link, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Ameraucana. I'm checking every day with anticipation of the rest of the flock to start laying....good luck

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Plenty of water and laying pellets ........... was also told they have to have plenty of light in the coop area for laying . I have wings that open on 2 sides of the coop ( with wire attached ) , so they should have plenty of light . and ventilation
DO you have pictures of your different breeds and ages so I can compare ?

 

[KellyGwen]

Well, she's in my little "emergency" coop... I don't have any pictures of it yet... She was in a dog crate with a make-shift wire mini-run on it and I didn't like her in there... too ugly! (I like things pretty haha!) She really pesters the smaller chicks so she lives in bachelorettehood for now.... until the others get older.

I converted an old steel table saw table frame, boxed it in and gave it a peaked, hinged roof. (Don't worry! The saw was removed har har har). The whole thing is about 3 feet long, 2 feet wide and about 2 1/2 feet at the peak. The bottom of the coop is split into 2 sections by a little wall, hay on one side and shavings on the other. There is a roost for her across the bottom of the peak.

I'm thinking now I might have to raise the nesting area a little and box it in a little more. I just have to think on how to keep her from pooping on the roof of the nestbox... Maybe a slanted roof on the inside so she can't sit there... I might also have to add some sort of "landing zone" near the door so she has somewhere to bumble into without causing damage. I was thinking of a little mesh removable floor panel... Bad for laying, good for landing!

This little coopette is probably going to be the future silkie love shack... so at least I have her to test it out for me and help me find the flaws in my little mickey-mouse coop

I'll go take a picture of it

 

[KellyGwen]

Here are some pics of her chickie-digs...

There are small sections of wire mesh on either side for ventilation... There is also a gap at the peak of the roof that lets air in.

The roof is hinged so I can get in there to feed/water and clean. I found a fiberglass panel that lets in nice light... I thought it would make a nice half roof.. the other half of the roof and the floor are tin.