How to get a chicken to STOP laying?

[sassifrassi]

I'm new at this...
I am trying trouble shoot for November when I am planning on taking a vacation. I will have neighbors looking after my mini-flock but am concerned if they miss a day collecting eggs. I don't want my girls to start eating their eggs or sitting on crushed ones. I have automated pretty much everything else ( food/water). I would be happiest if my neighbors only had to make sure the girls were alive. (I'm planning on installing a web camera in the coop too.) Any thoughts on how to get them to stop or slow down? Am I being a kook?
Thanks.

 

[GAchick]

Can you modify your nesting boxes to allow the egg to roll to a lower level the hens could not get to? Maybe not to the outside, as that would provide entry to slinky type predators. But at least behind something to keep the girls away? Don't know where you are, but November should be cool enough that the eggs would stay 'fresh' for several days. Even if the people you have checking them are kept away due to unforseen occurences.

 

[WKYChick]

the only time I can think of when I hen stops laying is if she is sick, picked on by other hens, over crowded conditions, past her prime laying time or has been scared or startled.

You really can't stop a hen from laying once they start

I do have one hen that has stopped laying ever since the tornado went over us and things took flight that shouldn't have, talk about shake-n-bake chickens, and too she is an older hen with a bad leg:/

You can try a roll away nest box system, maybe some one else can post on how those work and how they are designed, they roll the egg out from under the hen into a collection area

 

[Country Heart]

Quote:
Sounds like good advice to me.

 

[ranchhand]

LOL, not a kook at all.

The only way to deter laying is for them to all go broody at once, (not likely) or a forced molt, which is very hard on them. If they have a history of eating or crushing eggs, consider building some roll out nest boxes. And boost the calcium, it makes really hard shells. Sometimes I can't collect eggs daily and I've never had a problem in 20 years. (I'm going to knock on wood.) If the neighbor's can only collect every other day the eggs will be okay. Usually, the shorter days of November slow them down anyway.

BUT.... automated systems can and do go wonky- with disastrous results. Make sure it all keeps going. And enjoy your vacation, congrats for thinking and planning ahead!

ETA, here's a link to roll out nests.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

 

[sassifrassi]

Roll out nests, eh? What a great idea! You chicken people think of everything! I'm going to modify my nest boxes now.

Thanks !

 

[mcostas]

Do they have a history of this? I have had eggs stay in the coop for a day or so either accidently, or because I was out for the day and the eggs were fine when we came back. Even the ones that stayed there a few days (did not know zoey had started laying!) were fine when we cracked them for eating.

 

[Hope119]

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That's the kind of nest my grandparents had for their chickens - that was about 20 years ago

and I think that is a very clever idea!

 

[sassifrassi]

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No - they are four weeks old. I'm just thinking of the future and possible problems.