Laying slows; no more egg squat

[RedStarDaddy]

I had a couple of 12-egg days after my 12 chickens started laying at the end of August. The apparent fowl pox I have in the flock may have been what slowed down the rate of lay, as well as the shortening day. I have noticed that several don't do the egg squat any more or they only half get into position then scoot out from under my hand.

Looks like I'll have me some three-to-six egg days (and maybe some eggless ones) until spring.

RSD

 

[farmin'chick]

You can always use lights to extend the daylight if you don't want them to take the winter off. Turn them on at 5 a.m....

 

[RedStarDaddy]

I could, I suppose, but I didn't get them to do nothing but give me eggs. It's all part of the rhythm of the seasons, and I thought I needed to get regrounded in that rhythm.

RSD

 

[1birdlady]

The apparent fowl pox I have in the flock may have been what slowed down the rate of lay, as well as the shortening day.

Oh my goodness...where in the country are you?

When doing wildlife bird rehab we had some with avian pox symptoms,Mockingbirds, Blue Jays and Grackles.

There were lesions around the beak and eyes. Is this what you have?

I have not heard this prevalent in our area with Chickens (Spring, Texas).

Our hens are still doing well.

 

[RedStarDaddy]

Quote:
Eastern Iowa. The days are getting short; the nights, long.

When doing wildlife bird rehab we had some with avian pox symptoms,Mockingbirds, Blue Jays and Grackles.

There were lesions around the beak and eyes. Is this what you have?

My girls have black scabs in the middle of a greenish-white halo on their combs and wattles. They are still active, still want their scratch, still eat and drink with a will, and still come down to the people house from the chicken house to greet me when I leave the people house. The only effect I have noticed is a slowdown in laying -- and that could be because of the shortening days rather than the fowl pox.

So far all they have is dry pox. I do have some Listerine in case they develop wet pox. I am hoping it doesn't come to that.

I have not heard this prevalent in our area with Chickens (Spring, Texas).

Our hens are still doing well.

The county came through and regraded the ditch in front of the house -- and when they did they left a catch basin. Then it rained. And the basin filled. And the mosquitoes got bad. Then the chickens came down with fowl pox. I suspect the regrading had something to do with the mosquitoes, and mosquitoes are a fowl pox vector.

RSD​