Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Flowerbh]

Question for the experts again: My chickens are used to free ranging all over my property. They have eaten all the grass behind the house, all the flowers, hostas, bushes, etc. Well, we use our property as a vacation rental so it doesn't look good to have no grass or flowers. We put up 300 feet of fencing that now goes up into the woods at the back of their coop. There is plenty of room for them to play. My question is: Since we have limited their range and they no longer get to eat all the flowers, they have either stopped laying or are laying in the woods and I can't find them. Can/do chickens deliberately hold their eggs if they are mad? It's like they are on strike. LOL We also had 2 nights that dropped into freezing temps. Would this make them not lay? Also, I have 2 hens who just started laying about two months ago and now nothing for weeks. We only have had the fence for about a week. I guess these are dumb questions, but I just don't understand why they would all be laying and then all of the sudden, nobody wants to lay.

 

[hellbender]

Question for the experts again: My chickens are used to free ranging all over my property. They have eaten all the grass behind the house, all the flowers, hostas, bushes, etc. Well, we use our property as a vacation rental so it doesn't look good to have no grass or flowers. We put up 300 feet of fencing that now goes up into the woods at the back of their coop. There is plenty of room for them to play. My question is: Since we have limited their range and they no longer get to eat all the flowers, they have either stopped laying or are laying in the woods and I can't find them. Can/do chickens deliberately hold their eggs if they are mad? It's like they are on strike. LOL We also had 2 nights that dropped into freezing temps. Would this make them not lay? Also, I have 2 hens who just started laying about two months ago and now nothing for weeks. We only have had the fence for about a week. I guess these are dumb questions, but I just don't understand why they would all be laying and then all of the sudden, nobody wants to lay.

I don't want to put myself up as a chicken'expert' but chickens stop laying for myriad of reasons, and spite is certainly one of them. They are creatures of habit and don't like things taken away.

As you have noticed, they can play that game too and they play it well. They just might have decided to take away your supply of eggs.

Take the fence down for a few day and see if things improve with eggs...my bet is they will.

EDIT: I certainly didn't mean to suggest that your chickens got together and declared a 'strike', per se. Chickens truly are creatures of habit and even a minor change can freak them for a while. In cutting their range by who know what amount, likely represents monumental discomfort to their psyche.

Look at it from their points of view....suppose you go to bed tonight and all you have is two sheets and an old tattered quilt...No bed, no box springs, no mattress.......Not even a pillow.

This may be overly dramatic but who knows for sure what goes through the mind of a chicken when it feels 'slighted'?

PS...I'm still in kindergarten when dealing with the feelings of slighted women!

 

[SlipsWife]

I don't want to put myself up as a chicken'expert' but chickens stop laying for myriad of reasons, and spite is certainly one of them. They are creatures of habit and don't like things taken away.

As you have noticed, they can play that game too and they play it well. They just might have decided to take away your supply of eggs.

Take the fence down for a few day and see if things improve with eggs...my bet is they will.

EDIT: I certainly didn't mean to suggest that your chickens got together and declared a 'strike', per se. Chickens truly are creatures of habit and even a minor change can freak them for a while. In cutting their range by who know what amount, likely represents monumental discomfort to their psyche.

Look at it from their points of view....suppose you go to bed tonight and all you have is two sheets and an old tattered quilt...No bed, no box springs, no mattress.......Not even a pillow.

This may be overly dramatic but who knows for sure what goes through the mind of a chicken when it feels 'slighted'?

PS...I'm still in kindergarten when dealing with the feelings of slighted women!

x2
Well, for most of it...as a woman, I understand our feelings!

Some of the CRAZIEST things send our girls into strike. I like to blame the weather but if I'm being honest, most of them will lay when its cold/nasty. When we don't let them free range as much as normal, they get grumpy. We have on hen that's a bully and keeps running a few girls out of the nesting box. I think one is molting but its not a hard molt but obviously enough to stop her. I've had one girl who looked HORRIBLE, almost naked, it was embarrassing, during her molt and still lay...

Oh, we switched from crumbles to pellets once, they almost refused to eat and you guessed it, eggs slowed down.

 

[draye]

Very cute babies, intrigued by the brown ones.....

Rose comb is 'very dominant', not possible for it to be hidden or not noticed on any bird with it.

Pea comb is also dominant but appearance can vary considerably in mixed or not pure. One big tell tale sign is the wattles are much reduced or have a distinct look(shape, paper thin) compared to their single combed relatives. Some peas can pass for single, even having a few spikes or just a mostly upright blade.. at a glance they look single.

With two different comb types from all single comb flock, I would have guessed either there's been an egg mix up, somebody got bred by another breed and it's left over sperm, or at least one or two breeders are not single comb- can easily believe a pea being missed but rose comb, that's a too hard one to miss.. would have marked them as accidental crosses.

Nope those hens have never been in with another rooster, and no way of one getting to them. No mix up either. I marked eggs as I took them from the nest and placed them in an egg carton.
The brown ones will turn out to be partridge colored. that is what 4 of the 6 mamas were ,with one of the partridge also having mottled.

 

[Flowerbh]

x2
Well, for most of it...as a woman, I understand our feelings!

Some of the CRAZIEST things send our girls into strike. I like to blame the weather but if I'm being honest, most of them will lay when its cold/nasty. When we don't let them free range as much as normal, they get grumpy. We have on hen that's a bully and keeps running a few girls out of the nesting box. I think one is molting but its not a hard molt but obviously enough to stop her. I've had one girl who looked HORRIBLE, almost naked, it was embarrassing, during her molt and still lay...

Oh, we switched from crumbles to pellets once, they almost refused to eat and you guessed it, eggs slowed down.

Thanks you guys. I guess I will have to wait until they 'get over it'. They did go from free ranging my flowers and grass to mostly woods. I do give them lots of cabbage heads and other such treats.

 

[Oldmomma]

Glad there are folks like me here who can roll with laughter over certain posts, I read them to my kids and they just give me the "are you going senile mom?" Look. Everytime I go out to check on my babies they gather at the fence wondering what tidbit I have for them. Got some leftover spagetti, cake crumbs and a few cooked potatoes from last night im going to go give my big babies.

 

[Oldmomma]

So much for a treat for the chickens, I let the dog off leash and while my back was turned to open the coop he ate nearly half their treat! Then the light I made for them wont be useful cause there was only one plug for power up there and its small bore plug and painted over with plaster. Since I cant figure out where a breaker might be for that level im leaving it alone. 440 power no grounding power supply I know enough to stay away from. I promise my home will be grounded and breakered. And outdoor water proof outlets installed for use around the house. More things than being shot to worry about around here. Looked at the slider doors and I like the idea of timer or sensored lighting. Coldest its gotten is 30s here which to them is freezing. Would some small space heaters from usa be good if I could wire them in properly be good to keep a coop warm come next winter? If I put them behind mesh where they could not get to them and off ground maybe a kitchen vent fan or two to keep air circulation? Trying to get all my ideas together so when I can build its planned out.

 

[hildar]

Question for the experts again: My chickens are used to free ranging all over my property. They have eaten all the grass behind the house, all the flowers, hostas, bushes, etc. Well, we use our property as a vacation rental so it doesn't look good to have no grass or flowers. We put up 300 feet of fencing that now goes up into the woods at the back of their coop. There is plenty of room for them to play. My question is: Since we have limited their range and they no longer get to eat all the flowers, they have either stopped laying or are laying in the woods and I can't find them. Can/do chickens deliberately hold their eggs if they are mad? It's like they are on strike. LOL We also had 2 nights that dropped into freezing temps. Would this make them not lay? Also, I have 2 hens who just started laying about two months ago and now nothing for weeks. We only have had the fence for about a week. I guess these are dumb questions, but I just don't understand why they would all be laying and then all of the sudden, nobody wants to lay.

MY Delawares have refused to lay eggs lately. They don't like their new pen and coop and now I let the girls out during the day so they can forage, and I hope lay eggs where they used to lay. However so far still nothing. At about 5pm I put them back in with my Delaware rooster, and they still want back out. They are refusing to have that as their new home. I have kept a close eye on the twins ever since they have been back out for the day time and not even a single egg from either one. So not sure if they are just being a pain in my backside or what.

 

[hellbender]

So much for a treat for the chickens, I let the dog off leash and while my back was turned to open the coop he ate nearly half their treat! Then the light I made for them wont be useful cause there was only one plug for power up there and its small bore plug and painted over with plaster. Since I cant figure out where a breaker might be for that level im leaving it alone. 440 power no grounding power supply I know enough to stay away from. I promise my home will be grounded and breakered. And outdoor water proof outlets installed for use around the house. More things than being shot to worry about around here. Looked at the slider doors and I like the idea of timer or sensored lighting. Coldest its gotten is 30s here which to them is freezing. Would some small space heaters from usa be good if I could wire them in properly be good to keep a coop warm come next winter? If I put them behind mesh where they could not get to them and off ground maybe a kitchen vent fan or two to keep air circulation? Trying to get all my ideas together so when I can build its planned out.

I know it gets cold in Libya bur never cold enough to use any additional heat. If they have a reasonably good housing that is well ventilates but no major drafts, they will do fine. Make sure they have plenty of water....warm water on very cold days and what ever greens you can provide them. They should do well....Of course shade is as important as anything in the Middle East.

 

[hellbender]

Thanks you guys. I guess I will have to wait until they 'get over it'. They did go from free ranging my flowers and grass to mostly woods. I do give them lots of cabbage heads and other such treats.

As I mentioned (in spades) chickens are keenly aware of change BUT...unless that change seriously deprives them of nourishment, water or sunshine...they also possess the ability to be extremely capable of adapting....you just have to be patient with them and give them time to get their heads back on straight...