I am moving this post from 'How many eggs ...' forum to here, starting a new thread looking for help. Sorry for the long lines.
My flock of 3 (three) hens has only one hen laying, very regular, she skips a day about once a week. But now for my story. My flock of 3 started spring 2012 with 3 chicks a Big Black, RI red, and a very pretty multicolor, one day before i knew better, they were ranging and the multicolor was missing, no feathers, no sign of struggle, it must have been a case of grab and run, or multicolor was last on peck order, maybe she ran away to find a better life? I don't know. The other two appeared unaffected and soon began laying on schedule at about 5 months. The Black was always No. 1 to the Red. They continued laying thru the winter in NE GA. of 2012-13. In early spring of 2013 I wanted to increase the flock by 2, so I brought home 3 chicks, (1st week of march '13) raised them indoors until the season warmed and their adult breast feathers were developed. Then I introduced them to the 2 older gals by placing the young pen outside of the run, then after a week or so segregated a section of the run for the 3 younger. Well one morning i found one of the young under the porch, and her two sisters dead partially eaten.(June '13) I believe by a feral cat we see now and then. I then realized that the run, coop security was in need of a complete overhaul. I found the entry place and made a temp repair. I moved the remaining young one indoors. That night the predator returned to enter the coop to find the adult Black and Red. I figure the hens won because they survived. The red looked untouched but the Black was attacked. She was missing the feathers on her breast and underside. They were both standing in the rain that morning very frightened, on command they came to me. I examined the Black and I could not find where her skin had been broken except for a small scratch over one eye, also examined the Red she seemed untouched. I moved the older gals into the garage a few days until I could rebuild the run security. They both layed in the garage. The Black layed a few more days then stopped laying and I think has not layed since. The younger one layed a few small pully eggs on the floor of the new run, (Aug. '13) I picked the egg out of the run when I would see it, then she stopped laying and I think has not layed since. The last egg the younger one layed was pecked and I found all 3 with egg on their face. I have not seen egg on any faces since that one time. So of the 3 only the Red is laying, she is a regular layer skipping about one day a week. During all of this the Red took advantage of the Black's weakness and took the position of No. 1, Recently the Black has begun to retake her No. 1 position taking a pecks at the Red when the mash or treats are presented, the Red is resisting a little, but the Black is beginning to walk with her head tall again. I have tried changing their world by removing and rearranging all toys, ladders, perches, moved nest boxes, mash trough, also changed from hay to shavings, trying to get them busy rearranging their world again. But to no avail the Black and the young one don't want to lay. I need some help. My question is obvious, what can I do to help them to begin laying again? I think that maybe the problem could be that they are getting visited in the night? and the predator is unable to get in so maybe it hangs around and drools, and they smell, sense the predator presence? Should I have to put out traps? I have not put out traps yet because of skunk and polecat. I hope someone can help. Thanks for reading, YonahKluck.
My flock of 3 (three) hens has only one hen laying, very regular, she skips a day about once a week. But now for my story. My flock of 3 started spring 2012 with 3 chicks a Big Black, RI red, and a very pretty multicolor, one day before i knew better, they were ranging and the multicolor was missing, no feathers, no sign of struggle, it must have been a case of grab and run, or multicolor was last on peck order, maybe she ran away to find a better life? I don't know. The other two appeared unaffected and soon began laying on schedule at about 5 months. The Black was always No. 1 to the Red. They continued laying thru the winter in NE GA. of 2012-13. In early spring of 2013 I wanted to increase the flock by 2, so I brought home 3 chicks, (1st week of march '13) raised them indoors until the season warmed and their adult breast feathers were developed. Then I introduced them to the 2 older gals by placing the young pen outside of the run, then after a week or so segregated a section of the run for the 3 younger. Well one morning i found one of the young under the porch, and her two sisters dead partially eaten.(June '13) I believe by a feral cat we see now and then. I then realized that the run, coop security was in need of a complete overhaul. I found the entry place and made a temp repair. I moved the remaining young one indoors. That night the predator returned to enter the coop to find the adult Black and Red. I figure the hens won because they survived. The red looked untouched but the Black was attacked. She was missing the feathers on her breast and underside. They were both standing in the rain that morning very frightened, on command they came to me. I examined the Black and I could not find where her skin had been broken except for a small scratch over one eye, also examined the Red she seemed untouched. I moved the older gals into the garage a few days until I could rebuild the run security. They both layed in the garage. The Black layed a few more days then stopped laying and I think has not layed since. The younger one layed a few small pully eggs on the floor of the new run, (Aug. '13) I picked the egg out of the run when I would see it, then she stopped laying and I think has not layed since. The last egg the younger one layed was pecked and I found all 3 with egg on their face. I have not seen egg on any faces since that one time. So of the 3 only the Red is laying, she is a regular layer skipping about one day a week. During all of this the Red took advantage of the Black's weakness and took the position of No. 1, Recently the Black has begun to retake her No. 1 position taking a pecks at the Red when the mash or treats are presented, the Red is resisting a little, but the Black is beginning to walk with her head tall again. I have tried changing their world by removing and rearranging all toys, ladders, perches, moved nest boxes, mash trough, also changed from hay to shavings, trying to get them busy rearranging their world again. But to no avail the Black and the young one don't want to lay. I need some help. My question is obvious, what can I do to help them to begin laying again? I think that maybe the problem could be that they are getting visited in the night? and the predator is unable to get in so maybe it hangs around and drools, and they smell, sense the predator presence? Should I have to put out traps? I have not put out traps yet because of skunk and polecat. I hope someone can help. Thanks for reading, YonahKluck.
