My Chickens are BROKEN!!

[Ol Grey Mare]

Your unknown birds appear to be Easter Eggers (may have been sold mislabeled as Ameraucana or with the tell-tale misspelling of Americana). I see all pullets. Your quarters are cramped for the number of birds you are keeping....especially because they have to be confined 24/7.

 

[madchickenowner]

Your unknown birds appear to be Easter Eggers (may have been sold mislabeled as Ameraucana or with the tell-tale misspelling of Americana). I see all pullets. Your quarters are cramped for the number of birds you are keeping....especially because they have to be confined 24/7.

After we had talked earlier I had remembered that they were Ameraucana's, but I didn't know for sure. That's what the farm supply store said anyways. As for run space what should I be looking at?? Don't mind expanding. Could the cramped quarters be the reason for the lack of eggs?

 

[islandgirl82]

Ideally the coop should give each bird a minimum of 3-4 square feet or more depending on their size and a minimum of 10 sq ft per bird in the run. Chickens can never have too much space but not having enough is very stressful for them and leads to all kinds of health and behavioral issues which can sometimes be fatal. And yes, stress can mean no eggs.

I have 7 birds in a 4' x 8' walk-in coop with a 12' x 24' run giving them each more than 4 sq ft in the coop and more than 41 sq ft in the run and sometimes that's still not enough. They do get to spend the majority of their time foraging the whole yard which keeps bickering at a minimum (only when somebody finds a really tasty morsel).

 

[appps]

I would have thought that run size would have affected behaviour more than egg laying? Otherwise battery hens wouldn't produce eggs. Correct me if wrong as I'm just guessing. You are going to have to watch out for feather picking and such problems as they are overcrowded. Do you let them free range for a little while while you watch?

Why don't you put an egg from your kitchen in the nest box and see if it is still there the next day. Then you can at least rule out egg theft and eating.