New Rooster on the Block

[kaywelton]

So, the neighbors behind us have a rooster and chickens now. And since the rooster came, our hens have all but stopped laying, one is extremely broody (she literally isn’t sitting on any eggs either but won’t leave the boxes) and another is looking egg bound now. We were getting so many eggs, maybe 14 eggs and the last 2 days, I have 1 total. What do I do!! Send all the advice.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would be much more suspicious of a hidden nest. Whenever, I have a sudden drop in egg production-it has always been a hidden nest. They can be surprisingly difficult to see - even in the open.

As for the broody hen - you should either break her or give her eggs or chicks. If you hatch eggs, you will get your own roosters, but chicks are easy to get right now.

As for the other hen - no advice but I don't think any of this is caused by the rooster in the next yard.

Mrs K

 

[kaywelton]

I would be much more suspicious of a hidden nest. Whenever, I have a sudden drop in egg production-it has always been a hidden nest. They can be surprisingly difficult to see - even in the open.

As for the broody hen - you should either break her or give her eggs or chicks. If you hatch eggs, you will get your own roosters, but chicks are easy to get right now.

As for the other hen - no advice but I don't think any of this is caused by the rooster in the next yard.

Mrs K

Thanks for the reply. I was wondering about a hidden nest. Went searching the yard all over the place and no luck. Raked out the coops and couldn’t find any hidden eggs. Such a bummer.

Any tips on breaking the broody hen? Never have needed to do this before haha!

I guess it all just seems so coincidental. Rooster comes and even my birds demeanors seem different. All so unsettling.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any tips on breaking the broody hen?

Good article on setting up a breaker cage: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[aart]

Went searching the yard all over the place and no luck.

Might be time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Or just lock 'em up for a week......
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Shadrach]

So, the neighbors behind us have a rooster and chickens now. And since the rooster came, our hens have all but stopped laying, one is extremely broody (she literally isn’t sitting on any eggs either but won’t leave the boxes) and another is looking egg bound now. We were getting so many eggs, maybe 14 eggs and the last 2 days, I have 1 total. What do I do!! Send all the advice.

Is the rooster courting your hens?

 

[kaywelton]

Not sure if anyone might see this, but now the yolks of our eggs are insanely light yellow. Lighter than store bought!! What is happening!!

 

[aart]

Not sure if anyone might see this, but now the yolks of our eggs are insanely light yellow. Lighter than store bought!! What is happening!!

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[DonyaQuick]

When I first got a rooster and had him in quarantine away from my hens, they lost their minds hearing him crow and it got worse when I started taking him outside so they could see him at a distance. I suddenly got broody behavior from a couple hens, there was a lot of pecking order upheaval, and I regularly had hens escaping past me and trying to figure out how to get into the house where they could hear him (he was living in a spare room indoors). None of them had their health affected though.

I can't see how a nearby roo would cause a hen to get egg-bound unless he was somehow keeping her away from her usual source of calcium, whether through direct intervention or by luring her away from her intended feed to eat other things. Yolk color is definitely affected by feed; the yolk will be pale unless they get certain things in their diet. A pale yolk isn't necessarily bad to my understanding but the yolk color changing does suggest the diet changed somehow.

 

[Mrs. K]

Add greens and a bit of corn for darker yolks.