AccidentalOrpingtons
Chirping
Everything I read about hens not beginning to lay mentions stress, but the few causes of stress are never clearly described to newbs like me.
All hens bought at same time (14 April), the orpingtons were, I'm guessing, 2 weeks old) Two of our hens have been laying like clockwork for the past 2 months (an Amberlink and a California white).
They have an Egglu with 6ft by 2 ft run attached to a 8ft by 8ft tall run, and I also fenced in a 50ft by 50ft area to let them "free range" while I am home.
On days I am not able to keep an eye out (hawks, bears and 2 fox dens!) they stay in the run and have pecking blocks, different style feeding stations, waterers, and a swing and a bunch of roosting bars. I also can move the run around so it doesn't turn into a mud pit and they can forage while locked in the run.
If something in their environment is stressing them, I want to try to eliminate it, but I do not think I have enough experience to know a stressor if it were staring me in the face
Would it be normal for them to not lay first egg until spring at this point? I am in NJ and it is already quite chilly and dark early, so maybe they are already in "winter mode"?
I have read having a light in the coop is also a good idea, but a light on all day and off at night? I wasn't sure how the light should be.
We have a bunch of game cameras set up around the chickens and the predators do not come close to the run or show themselves. At least on camera. But I don't know about the hawks.
All hens bought at same time (14 April), the orpingtons were, I'm guessing, 2 weeks old) Two of our hens have been laying like clockwork for the past 2 months (an Amberlink and a California white).
They have an Egglu with 6ft by 2 ft run attached to a 8ft by 8ft tall run, and I also fenced in a 50ft by 50ft area to let them "free range" while I am home.
On days I am not able to keep an eye out (hawks, bears and 2 fox dens!) they stay in the run and have pecking blocks, different style feeding stations, waterers, and a swing and a bunch of roosting bars. I also can move the run around so it doesn't turn into a mud pit and they can forage while locked in the run.
If something in their environment is stressing them, I want to try to eliminate it, but I do not think I have enough experience to know a stressor if it were staring me in the face
Would it be normal for them to not lay first egg until spring at this point? I am in NJ and it is already quite chilly and dark early, so maybe they are already in "winter mode"?
I have read having a light in the coop is also a good idea, but a light on all day and off at night? I wasn't sure how the light should be.
We have a bunch of game cameras set up around the chickens and the predators do not come close to the run or show themselves. At least on camera. But I don't know about the hawks.