Predator = No Egg Production?

[Illia]

Okay, so I've heard of it a few times, but now am trying to find some sources again that are credible to verify this. . . . Would a predator coming by actually stop egg production? And, for how long? How much of a halt are we talking here?

I had, for the first time ever, a bobcat come into my pasture and take one of my hens several days ago. The hen got free, but I had to isolate her for a while, and two days later had to put her down. Before the bobcat, I also culled the flock back 10 hens. . . Since the major culling, production hasn't been the best, but I figure it was because most of the remaining girls were molting. Well, with that event, the bobcat had to add on to the stress. Now, with over 30 girls who are of laying age and days after the incident, I'm getting anywhere from 0-4 eggs a day.

Is my horribly low production because of the predator? How long will these keep up? Their diet hasn't changed much, though I did recently give them some TVP that gave a couple hens and cockerels a bad reaction of a clogged, bubbly sounding throat. That was a bad decision that I'm never doing again, but most of the girls aren't affected by it far as I know, and this happened before the bobcat.

Anyone have any knowledge on this? Yesterday I got 0 eggs. From over 30 girls. I don't look forward to saying that again.


Oh, and I have a few hens who do not share the same pasture, and their production is normal. Yes, they've had access to the TVP.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Illia, I've never noticed a predator causing a drop in production in the flock here, just the hens that were directly affected (chased, hurt or stressed in some direct way). I've heard of others that have had a problem with it, but I haven't.
But I have had those bummer days for no reason I can see. Gathered eggs this morning, and out of around 85 laying age hens - 10 eggs.

Don't know anything about TVP, so I'm no help there.

 

[sourland]

If the bobcat is harrassing the hens on a routine basis, this indeed could affect egg production. Continually stressed chickens exhibit reduced egg production. What is TVP?

 

[Illia]

Textured Vegetable Protein. It's what a lot of companies/food suppliers/restaurants sell as sausage, beef, etc when in reality it's just Soy protein.

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
I agree with this. I wouldn't want to put potential offspring in danger if there was a predator hanging around me.

 

[Dray67]

Just my experience: We had a stray dog attack our small flock in the early fall. He held down our Buff Orp and plucked her back near bald. The rest of the flock scattered and hid in tight places all over the yard. It took near two hours to find them all. The hens laid normally for 3-4 days but then production stopped completly for almost a month. The only hen that laid during that time was out leghorn and the Red SL started back sooner then the others.
Dave

 

[cybercat]

Last year we got hit regular by a fox. Durning daylight and at night for 2 weeks straight. My production did not stop except for missing hens. If you have hens in molt or just been threw it will be months before they start to lay again. TVP is soy and not good stay away from it. Too much soy does have an effect on production. Why you would feed it is beyond me. Try real meat for better protien works wonders.

If all these chickens are in the same pasture then I might suspect quality of pasture. If then ones producing are in a differnet one something with that pasture with the others is off. Pull them off it see if that helps. If the pasture itself is lacking change layer feed to higher protien.

 

[Illia]

There's only one pasture, really. The rest is just running free land.

I fed it because it was something we already had. I myself and entirely against soy too, but I wanted a little more protein in their diet, and meat, especially in forms they can eat, isn't cheap in the long run. As I've said, I've learned the lesson and stopped. I've already got a cockerel who's have issues with it, and he's really worrying me. I hope it just clears up after a while.

There are indeed a lot of birds molting, but there's a lot I know are able to lay, too. There's nothing wrong with the pasture, but the weather has indeed been pretty awful. Torrential rain, hail, and now snow - Which causes most of them to stay inside. Their nesting boxes are in another building.

 

[newchik715]

my girls have not laid since a coon attack back in october.....depends on the flock i think. never can tell how they will respond.

 

[JordanFamily]

I lost two of my best hens early in the week and 3 last week, so I put out a live trap and caught 2 opossum in the barn where the hens are... I was thinking it was the opossums that were eating the eggs and that was why there was none but now it has been a couple of days and still no eggs...