No eggs in 3 weeks????

[ginbart]

I'm so mad. My son started 4-H so we decided to put our silkies and RIR's in the Bloomsburg Fair. They went in on Sunday and stayed until the next Saturday. I was there every day to take care of them because I didn't want them to feed them their food. They were giving them corn and it was hot in there. Sunday after they came home I went to the barn to check on them and they were all wheezing. I gave them meds but have not received an egg since then. I even lost one, it died 4 days after coming home. Boy have I learned never to do that again. The silkies are ok and I did get 2 eggs from them yesterday. But nothing from the RIR's. I sent 12 RIR hens and I think they got my other one's sick.

I told my DH if they don't start laying by the end of the month I need to cull them and start over. I don't know if it was the stress and how long I should wait. I hate to do it because I've hatched everyone of them. I would think a month would be long enought. What do you think? Thanks

 

[math ace]

I would not cull them simply because they are not laying. They may be starting to molt, it could be the shorten day, or any other normal natural things.

I would worry about the sneezing etc, but not the laying.

 

[debilorrah]

Do you have crows or ravens? I was getting 4 eggs a day from 55 hens, until we figured out the birds were taking them.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Chickens need 14 hrs of light a day to lay regularly. Some breeds wll lay a reduced number of eggs in less light...other breeds won't lay at all. I have several hens that will NOT lay at all for about half the year. Most of my birds will lay some eggs in winter. This time of year, chickens are going to molt. When they molt, they do not lay at all (so much energy is spent on regrowing feathers).

 

[ginbart]

Some of them are going into molt but not all of them.

Nope no crows or ravens. They couldn't get into the barn.

Last year I was getting 12 to 14 eggs even with them molting. I wondered why they don't lay when molting thanks now I know it's because of the energy spent on regrowing the feathers.

Only one is sneezing now so I hope I got them.

I can't cull them, they are my babies, it just unsets me that they all got sick. I should have sent the one away that died to see what it was. Dumm on my part.

Thanks for the help.

I did see small birds in the barn and was thinking it could be from their dropings. I need to close up a hole so they can't get in.

 

[donrae]

Last year I was getting 12 to 14 eggs even with them molting.

Was last year their first winter? Many birds will lay through the first winter then stop at the second when they're about 18months. I'm thinking yours would have started slowing down now anyway, shorter days and all, and the fair just threw them into it early? Most hens quit laying in the winter and start again in the spring. Sounds like no one is sick now, I'd just wait until spring. No reason why they'd start laying again in a month, it's cold and dark

And, I'm sure you figured this out, and don't sound like you're EVER going to do it again, but if you take a bird to a show, quarantine it when it gets back! I'm like the least germaphobic person, but I can't imaging the crap a bird could bring back from a fair. I wouldn't want whatever they had running rampant in my flock.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Do cochins lay through the winter/shorter days? I asked on another thread and people just told me they were molting. They're NOT molting. They've just stopped laying.

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
I'm sorry michickenwrangler, I don't know anything about cochins. Wish I could help you and I don't mind if someone comes on here to help.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Thanks anyway.

I want to hatch eggs come spring and it gets me anxious that they aren't laying ... dang type A personality with chickens that are type B ...