Not alarming, but some new/strange behaviors.

[BBQJOE]

I feed my birds twice a day. 6am and 6pm. I put outtwo bowls of wet laying mash, and they pretty much consume it all before bed time.
Midday I might give them a treat, I might not. Like most chickens, these birds are crazy about scratch.

Now the only thing I've changed is that I'm not running their light anymore since summer is here. I think it's been at least two weeks since I turned it off.
In the last few days, their food consumption has gone down to half. I realize that it's getting warmer, so they might not need as much food. I'm not really worried about that. They'll eat it, or they won't, but they won't let themselves starve.

But the stranger thing is this. They all use the same same nesting box, which I have access to from outside the coop. They have all used this box since egg laying began about half a year ago.
I keep the nesting box clean, and restock the bedding as needed. The last few days they have been kicking the bedding out of the box, and making nests on the floor of the coop.
Egg production might be down a bit, but not much.
I just wonder why they've done this.

 

[teach1rusl]

As for the food, our feed consumption ALWAYS drops off as the weather improves. Between grass and bugs (and sometimes rodents/small critters), our chickens find lots more offerings on their own during the warm months. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. Do they still love scratch??? If they still come running for their treats, they're fine.

My nest boxes are great! Yet mine will occasionally push the bedding around to make a floor nest in a corner...who knows why?? And of course once one girl does it and lays an egg, then others might follow, because they often prefer to lay where there are already eggs (if eggs are there then it MUST be a good, safe spot, right?). Other than being inconvenient, I wouldn't worry about anything being wrong. Of course do check out the box just to make sure (no mites/wasp nest/etc.) - but most likely someone just thought outside the box and the others followed suit.

 

[Pork Pie]

In my limited experience, even non-broody breeds seem to have some leanings towards broodiness and will sit on other hen's eggs for a while longer at some times than others before they pop their egg. Maybe there's some partial broodiness going on, hence the need for some to lay on the ground or the broodies doing it.

Are you running a bit of a fever, btw Joe? Not like you to start a remotely serious thread

Ct

 

[BBQJOE]

In my limited experience, even non-broody breeds seem to have some leanings towards broodiness and will sit on other hen's eggs for a while longer at some times than others before they pop their egg. Maybe there's some partial broodiness going on, hence the need for some to lay on the ground or the broodies doing it.

Are you running a bit of a fever, btw Joe? Not like you to start a remotely serious thread

Ct

Look Ken. I'm very serious about this whole thing. Chickens, this board etc. I would never post anything that might hack off the web footed beakmeister what goes quack.
If I should post anything that appears humorous, snide, or off the wall, it is probably because someone forgot to unstrap me and give me my meds, or else the ECT machine got unplugged.
I could also be suffering from the D.T.'s at the time too.

I try to be as serious as possible, but sometimes after spending many hours being forced to watch movies with my eyelids clamped open, I never know what might come out.

I guess I gotta go now, it's time for my therapy session with chicken Boo.

 

[Pork Pie]

Better you remain strapped Joe