Michigan

[Olive Hill]

How old are they?

Has anything changed? Diet? Water accessibility? Environment?

Has anything bothered them lately? Had a predator visiting? Brought a new chicken in? Had an influx of human visitors?

Any other symptoms you've noticed? Raspy breathing? Nasal or Ocular Drainage? Changes in droppings?

 

[michiganlarry]

They are from 1 to 3 in age. I guess now thinking about it I had a heated waterer in the coop last winter. It stopped working and they are eating snow in between me hauling water out there every couple days. I have an automatic door on the coop but am worried that something is going in there during the day and getting the eggs. Other than no eggs the look just fine. Nice and shiney and fat. It just kills me to have to buy eggs when there are 12+ hens in my back yard!

 

[SillyChicken]

I have 8 hen's, and currently only get 0-3 a day... I've been trying to leave the light on during the day in the coop.

Have you tried closing up the coop for a couple days to see if they are laying eggs? Maybe a good way to rule out preditors.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
You have no heated source of water and are only hauling out water every couple of days?

I won't say that's the reason you're not getting eggs but that is absolutely unacceptable as a management practice. It takes a LOT of snow to equal one drink of water. Don't believe me? Today you may drink fluids. Tomorrow you may only eat snow. Let me know how you're feeling tomorrow night.

On "normal" cold days, such as today, you should be hauling water out once in the morning. On the really cold days where the water you hauled out in the morning is cold by noon an evening drink is also a very good idea, so you should be hauling it out twice.

My guess is the stress of not having anything to drink is combined with just plain old age, possibly impending molts for some of them, and the short winter days and they're simply not laying. Start watering them regularly and see if the lengthening daylight doesn't help straighten things out here pretty soon.

 

[michiganlarry]

Quote:
You have no heated source of water and are only hauling out water every couple of days?

I won't say that's the reason you're not getting eggs but that is absolutely unacceptable as a management practice. It takes a LOT of snow to equal one drink of water. Don't believe me? Today you may drink fluids. Tomorrow you may only eat snow. Let me know how you're feeling tomorrow night.

On "normal" cold days, such as today, you should be hauling water out once in the morning. On the really cold days where the water you hauled out in the morning is cold by noon an evening drink is also a very good idea, so you should be hauling it out twice.

My guess is the stress of not having anything to drink is combined with just plain old age, possibly impending molts for some of them, and the short winter days and they're simply not laying. Start watering them regularly and see if the lengthening daylight doesn't help straighten things out here pretty soon.

Thank you. I appreciate the advice a lot. The sarcasm not so much.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
You have no heated source of water and are only hauling out water every couple of days?

I won't say that's the reason you're not getting eggs but that is absolutely unacceptable as a management practice. It takes a LOT of snow to equal one drink of water. Don't believe me? Today you may drink fluids. Tomorrow you may only eat snow. Let me know how you're feeling tomorrow night.

On "normal" cold days, such as today, you should be hauling water out once in the morning. On the really cold days where the water you hauled out in the morning is cold by noon an evening drink is also a very good idea, so you should be hauling it out twice.

My guess is the stress of not having anything to drink is combined with just plain old age, possibly impending molts for some of them, and the short winter days and they're simply not laying. Start watering them regularly and see if the lengthening daylight doesn't help straighten things out here pretty soon.

Thank you. I appreciate the advice a lot. The sarcasm not so much.

I'm quite fond of sarcasm but there wasn't an ounce of it in that particular post. I'm dead serious.

 

[wishtofish]

Larry: I'm new cat this. My fisrt winter. It has going along great. I was basicly getting 9 - 10 eggs out of 11 hens daily until the really cold temps arrived.

My hens are housed in a closed coop with 2 - 250 watt heat lamps on around the clock. I also have 2 100 watt trouble lights on a timer to extend the day up to 14 hours. I gave the hens Hot cooked Oatmeal during the really cold temps in the afternoon along with plenty of water in a base heated waterer. They were still getting Purina Layena....

My egg production dropped down to 3 - 5 eggs per day...... Then I'll have a day that they lay 10...... yesterday only 3..... today I got 6......

 

[Granny Hoffman]

Hi Michigan Peeps, isn't this weather beautiful (not). I'm in the SE part of the state and we are under about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ice. No power since Sunday night and they are telling us that it might not be on until Thursday night. I even had to run to McDondalds to get on wifi to get my BYC fix. But I suppose we don't have it too bad, we do have a generator so we have heat, water, lights but no internet.
They are bringing power companies from other states, I saw some from North Carolina today and another power truck from Reed City and Lansing. So i'm hoping that with all the extra help we can get the power back on before Thursday night.
The ice tore down all my netting over my run, so after a warm up I have to go out there and fix that, what a mess.
Hope everyone else is staying safe and warm.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Hi michiganlarry, good to see you again

Welcome chickenhappy, my niece's DH is working with a tree service and he got sent to Kalamazoo.

I forgot.... My BIL has a couple of lionhead bunnies that need a new home. They aren't a year old yet. Any takers?

 

[Water Pixie]

Hi all,
I haven't been writing much lately so I thought I would say Hi to everyone.

My Mom and I are going to be heading in to Jackson in the next week or so and was wondering if anyone out that way has any thing on my wish list. I am looking for buckeye chicks, Ameraucana or Araucana pullets or hens would also be interested in chicks if there were sex as being female. Also looking for Belgian D Uccle Roo and a Serama Roo these two do not need to be show quality but they would need to be freebies.

Hope everyone gets there power back soon.

Dawn