IT HAPPENED!!!

[MochaLatte]

Now we cant do it though. All of the chickens stopped laying.

Molting? Or because of less daylight?

In either case, they will be back to it before you know it, I'm sure!!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Both I think all of them lost some feathers but the brahma molted the most the other 2 just stopped laying

 

[junior67]

I wonder how long you have to wait? Like a couple weeks or something while glitches work themselves out?

I have given some eggs away... like a dozen to a couple of neighbors and told them when it's empty to return the carton for a refill LOL

I surprisingly don't end up with an excessive amount of eggs because there are so many people to feed here haha

wow! that is a LOT of eggs to eat. I used to eat them all the time but haven't in a bit. So once a week or every 2 weeks I make up something that uses 12-18 eggs but that is it. LOL

it is more the egg size to be sure that the baby has enough room to grow. so since the first ones start out smaller you need to give them time to get to "full size" for that breed. so not sure exactly how long to wait. I need to research more still.

 

[junior67]

We did that all summer because we had 5 cartons of eggs every 2 weeks from 4 birds.

DAMN that is a lot of eggs from 4! My 3 even when they were laying a LOT for them I would have been getting about 16 a week so only 32 every 2 weeks!

I don't have high egg laying breeds though so think once all 7 are laying if they lay about what they say (so far it has been over) then I will get around 2 dozen a week from 7 so even with all of them it will only be about 4 dz every 2 weeks!

 

[junior67]

I am getting nervous now. Hummer still hasn't laid today. It is only 1pm but where she was only laying every other day she would lay by like 11:30 every morning. She hasn't laid since Tue so would think she would lay early. It didn't look like she was molting. It could be the day light but seems odd she would completely stop now. I am sure I am just being paranoid. LOL

 

[MochaLatte]

I am getting nervous now. Hummer still hasn't laid today. It is only 1pm but where she was only laying every other day she would lay by like 11:30 every morning. She hasn't laid since Tue so would think she would lay early. It didn't look like she was molting. It could be the day light but seems odd she would completely stop now. I am sure I am just being paranoid. LOL

Her molt might not be very noticeable. I didn't really realize my girls were molting until 3-4 weeks had passed...because I didn't really see feathers missing, etc... I thought it was all because of the incident but really they weren't laying because of molting. Nugget was the first to start, and she is the last to resume. Her tail feathers are just coming in now, they are nice and long but still covered in the sheath so they look crazy LOL. Some make it thru molt fast.. and then there's some like my Nugget! So she COULD be having her first soft molt... if she is, give extra protein to help her through easier and for good feathering!

 

[junior67]

Her molt might not be very noticeable. I didn't really realize my girls were molting until 3-4 weeks had passed...because I didn't really see feathers missing, etc... I thought it was all because of the incident but really they weren't laying because of molting. Nugget was the first to start, and she is the last to resume. Her tail feathers are just coming in now, they are nice and long but still covered in the sheath so they look crazy LOL. Some make it thru molt fast.. and then there's some like my Nugget! So she COULD be having her first soft molt... if she is, give extra protein to help her through easier and for good feathering!

ya I guess it could be a soft molt. I thought I read they don't go through the first BIG molt until around 18 mo. so I figured next fall for that. but guess it could be a soft molt. she is still beautifully feathered right now, just not laying for 3 days.... Guess I see what she does over the next couple of days.

I got some battery powered Christmas lights for my mantle and one wall so once Christmas is over I just may put them in the coop to turn on even an hour early in the a.m. but that will also get my rooster crowing earlier and my neighbors may kill me. Might be good to give them the break since he doesn't start until close to 7 now instead of the 4-5am that he does in the summer. haahaa.

 

[MochaLatte]

I thought I read they don't go through the first BIG molt until around 18 mo.

This is why I was so surprised when they all stopped laying and it ended up being molting... because they are all like 6-8mos!!! I wasn't expecting it until next year. Nugget is molting the hardest... but even with her I swear I didn't notice and feather difference or patchy spots until I finally saw new pin feathers coming through! So maybe your girls are doing the same... or maybe it's just a daylight thing will be interested to see how the rest of the weekend goes with her!

 

[4flock]

I live in Florida so I’m curious about molting. Is it a temperature thing or a natural chicken thing?

 

[junior67]

This is why I was so surprised when they all stopped laying and it ended up being molting... because they are all like 6-8mos!!! I wasn't expecting it until next year. Nugget is molting the hardest... but even with her I swear I didn't notice and feather difference or patchy spots until I finally saw new pin feathers coming through! So maybe your girls are doing the same... or maybe it's just a daylight thing will be interested to see how the rest of the weekend goes with her!

She is in the nest box this morning. She went in the one that Nugget always uses, guessing since Annabelle had just laid hers in there shortly before. Well a few min later Nugget came in and stared at her, then left. Then back in to wait and stare some more, then left again. Then right back in, but this time she went in the box next to Hummer. Lol. Now I am just waiting for them to be done to get the eggs