Randam Laying Question

[15chxinTX]

Hey there:

As my name implies, I live in Texas but now have 18 chicks instead of 15

Alittle background. We have 3 EE that are over a year old. In Feb of this year we brought home 6 EE, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 3 Cuckoo Morans.

Things were going great until late April when our young 12 was attacked by our 3 maltese dogs. Well, we ended up loosing 3. Two died after the attack and one didn't make it through the first night. Miraculously, the remaining 9 made it although5 were injured and took a long time to heal. When I told our feed store about it, they insisted on giving us 3 replacements for the 3 we lost. We chose 3 more buffs.

So fast forward 23 weeks from when we got our little girls and we have only gotten a total of 3 eggs from the 9 girls. One of them is an EE that wasn't hurt and 2 have been morans.

Do you think that the injuries they sustained will slow their egg laying? We are hoping not.

Also, we have 6 nest boxes in their coup, but they only use 2 boxes many times sharing the same one. How do I get them to use the other 4 boxes? I am just hoping that the injuries they sustained during the attack doesn't leave them eggless.

What do you think?? Just wait awhile longer?

 

[digitS']

Welcome to BYC, 15(18)chxinTX

!

Serious injuries during their 3rd month probably just slowed their development. If their bodies took days and weeks to heal, nutrients were going to rebuilding tissue rather than growth.

Someone with a hen that went thru an injury at a young age may chime in but I just suspect that 23 weeks is way too young to throw in the towel. Just the fact that some of the birds pulled themselves out of this trauma shows that they are little survivors. I bet they will surprise you in the months ahead.

Maltese, huh? . . . the little scamps . . .

Steve

Plastic eggs in nestboxes should help. Arguing over everyone's 1st choice is in their nature.

 

[Mahonri]

Wait. EE's are slow and don't lay often. Go fig.

I have 7 boxes. The girls only use two. again. go fig.

 

[cmom]

:welocome I agree with the other posts. My birds prefer certain nest boxes too.