My Hens are on an egg strike! (and they have never laided)

[can you hear me now?]

I think a new game of egg football would be great. Is the hen going to be the quarterback?

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Why are you keeping them penned up ?

As for digging holes and pecking the ground , that will be a daily thing . I laughed and told hubby , looked like they were digging themselves an under ground tunnel .....

the more fresh air , and light they get the better chance of the laying to start . I turn ALL mine loose in their SAFE run area , and they only go inside the chicken coop at night . they have their own ladder and trust me , they actually LOOK UP when it starts getting late in the afternoon , and they start one by one entering the chicken coop . ITS to cute to watch them all ..... the younger ones that are not laying YET are actually watching and learning from the laying hens ..... When they are all in the coop , SOMETIMES I shut their little door behind them and sometimes I don't . USUALLY as soon as it starts getting daylight , OUT the start coming .

Its kinda like a new mother to be knows when the time is close . they prepare by starting to go more and more into the nest boxes , arranging the nesting materials their own way , and squating I think is a HINT they give us to watch closely ..........

ALSO , 3 of the laying hens are ALL laying in the same nesting box . even tho the wall has several nesting boxes , they PICK the one they like best . ROOSTING area is completely on opposite wall away from the nesting boxes , SO NO POOP in the nesting boxes ....

 

[Lammie]

They should start any time. Mine don't lay well in summer when it is very hot. Egg production falls off sharply when it gets consistently over ninety degrees. I was getting two dozen a day in spring and now I barely get half that. They don't like heat.

 

[lowillobe]

I don't want them to free range right now because they might lay their eggs somewhere else.

We live in the South and it gets really hot and humid, so that could be why. But, my bantam lays everyday w/ o fail.

They other hens show no signs of laying eggs. The squatting I see is just dust baths. When I pat there backs they fluff their wings.

Also, can a hen refuses to lay an egg or is there no stopping the egg

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
WHERE IN THE SOUTH ? I am from South Louisiana .

HEAT will SLOW the production . I have ONLY 3 laying right now , another that went broody and NOW has NOT decided to start laying YET or NOT . I was told can take her 3 - 4 weeks after she gets over her broody stage before laying again/

 

[rebeccakeesee]

I have a few hens on strike. One is a red production( laid one eggand just stopped.) and an EE hen(A new addition to the flock. She will probably have to stop getting picked on before she bothers to lay me one.). Even my black sexlink Didnt bother to lay today and she lays at 7 o'clock sharp. I figured the same that the girls were HOT. Did stop them from eating alot and rolling in the dirt.