SillyPutty92
Hatching
- Mar 18, 2025
- 1
- 11
- 7
I'm not new to chickens, I've been around them on and off my entire life. Last summer my mom, my sister's husband, and I went in on a flock of 9 hens and a rooster together. My mom and I stepped back and let my sister's husband handle the flock when he got upset about us offering what we knew from our years of experience and research. After letting him take the reins we stopped receiving eggs. However the hens were in the middle of their first molt so we didn't think much about it. Then winter set in, still didn't recieve any eggs. As our flock consists of four dark brahma hens, which is a breed we're familiar with and chose specifically because they'll still lay during winter, we grew suspicious. Then my sister's husband tells us that he hasn't stepped foot in the coop all winter and just throws feed in through the door. At this point chicken tending duties went to me as clearly the new wore off for him. As we live in the country, I let them out to free range for the first time this year, the entire flock is present and seemingly healthy, very excited to be out and about, and then I set to work on the coop. My first order of business was to gather any eggs not being sat on by a broody hen (I would've been fine with baby chick's to grow the flock bring on the way) however there was only one egg. Nine hens, four Brahmas, only one rather dirty egg. For now I'm continuing under the assumption that where they were consistently fed throughout the winter, they weren't receiving enough food to do more than sustain survival and that with continued proper feeding and free ranging they will start laying again. However I do not want to rule out other causes and thusly solutions as I don't think anyone here doesn't know about the current price of eggs at the store right now. Thank you for your time and attention to this post.
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
