My older girls are mad and they are letting me know it!

[stubbornhill]

Last week, I introduced 4 new hens to our flock. The next day, our 2 older girls that still lay eggs, laid an egg. (I assume it was already in the shoot.) Since then (a week) however, NO EGGS! Apparently they are on strike, a picket line of sorts, a line in the sand has been drawn and they apparently are not budging. How long do you suppose they will hold this grudge?

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

that so funny happen to me but i was bring new chickens everyweek so they just got over it and kept laying but they didnt let the others lay for awhile they would always kick them off the nest lol hope they go back to laying for u ^^

 

[Lothiriel]

Oh man.. Sorry, I just had to laugh...

My girls have never gone on strike before though, so I have no help...

 

[suzyQlou]

Mine did the same thing, and I thought I was crazy. Who knows what's going on in their little chicken brains?!

I only had two hens. I brought two new pullets into our backyard. The new girls were about a month younger than my existing hens. I even kept the new girls in a separate run and bedroom. One of my old hens stopped laying for two weeks. The other decided to stress me out by laying soft-shelled eggs for a week. I'm happy to report that everything is back to normal now. The flock of four are all combined in a single run/coop. They are all eating the chick food with oyster shell on the side. The two old hens are each back to laying a good egg every day. The new pullets are not yet laying (but hopefully soon).

 

[Gypsy07]

They're not doing it cause they're mad at you or huffing or anything like that, it's just that most chickens are creatures of extreme routine and habit, and any changes in those routines will cause them to shut up shop for a few days till they calm down again and get used to the new things. Chickens really don't like change. Some folk report that even a change in the brand of food you feed them is enough to upset their laying!

 

[Ole rooster]

Lets face ladies, would y'all just sit around with the husband if you thought he was bringing in new, younger girls just to lay eggs? Is laying eggs all that this is about? All they're doing is protecting their turf trying to stay up front.

Just a tad jealous, maybe.

 

[stubbornhill]

Well...they certainly are in control of the issue aren't they?

I've always said we don't "own" our pets, they own us! Guess that's true for the barnyard animals as well. They've stopped laying and there's nothing we can do about it. Just wait for them to decide it's ok the lay again. They are funny little creatures.