New member has problem with chickens

Date sort Score sort
You say they are not moulting but they have access to 1 acre. Your hens are hiding the eggs. They can be creative in finding spots. That is there job to find non conspicuous spots, where there nest will not be located. I have had roos help the hens find spots for the nest. I think your roo is just complying with the hens. I don't think you have any thing to worry about, Just get out there and find those hidden eggs. Good luck!!! Note: Sometimes birds molt for there or four months, have you givin this any thought plus this cold snap we have had will make them not lay. Hmmmmmmm
 
Last edited:
ha chilling in muscadine brings up a good point!

That reminds me of a friend from another forum that thought her's weren't laying and she suddenly found a stash of about 15 eggs UNDER the nesting box... another found a stash UNDER that coop.

Its an easter egg hunt.
 
That's possible- but we spend a lot of time watching them on days like this when we are both here to see if where they go, and have had no luck. Last summer one of our hens "disappeared" for four days, only to come back- we followed her to our neighbors bushes one day and she was brooding on a dozen eggs. We removed them and she stopped going over there.

We will keep looking, but I still think they are not laying.

Thanks.

Eggless in Rhode Island
 
Some Chickens will lay a certain number of eggs and then stop and will either go broody or just take a break. Molting can take a very long time mine it's easily 2 months and then it may be a while before they lay.
If they are new to laying alot of the time young hens aren't consistant with laying everyday.
If you suspect illness check for wheezing, sneezing, coughing and loose poops.

The roo not crowing is of a concern that is always a sign he isn't feeling well. I would definitely give the roo a good looking over to see what could be wrong.
Have you checked them for mite's an infestation of those will cause hens to stop laying and roo's to stop crowing and can make them sick.

Hope i helped you.
smile.png
 
Do the hens and roo all have good healthy weight? How is the roo and your girls holding there tail since he has quit crowing? Up and proud is good, down is a concern something is wrong. Has the roos cone changed color? If so this could be a problem. Where are you located and has the weather changed drasctly lately? If yes this could be there problem. More info needed to help figure your problem out
 
Iʻm betting that this is just a natural break. In Rhode Island, its pretty cold right now and getting colder. No sane animal wants to be fruitful and multiply when its bottom is freezing. Either warm up your coop substantially (and at increased cost), feed higher protein food & more corn to stoke them up internally, or wait the winter out.
See, you should have frozen some of those extra eggs in September to get you thru the winter!
 
Are you feeding a good layer ration? You may want to confine your hens to their coop for a couple of days to see if they'll start using the nesting boxes. Put some fake eggs (ie. golf balls) in the nests to attract them to that place to lay. Are their combs bright or are they pale in color? Maybe some V & E may help for a little "pick up". Also, is water available at all times? If chickens are denied water for even a short time it may affect their rate of lay for a long time. I hope you get some eggs soon, and
welcome-byc.gif
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom