Hiya,
I have a momma hen not laying all of a sudden, first time chicken owners question.
Question:
Do chickens try to keep laying in the days they're stopping to lay for the season?
All the details:
We have had our first five chickens, brooder hen (indian game bantam) and four orpingtons, since November. As soon as the chicks were old enough, mum started laying at the start of summer. She has laid everyday for almost 2.5 months (surprising for her breed). The girls are about 16 weeks and starting a new molt, while she's only lost one feather this week. We don't know her age.
We've had a cyclone the past week, lots of rain, constant dark skies, low temps for the end of summer here in NZ. We made a new, more waterproof nesting box about three days ago. (The nesting box is separate from the coop, as we're in the process of building a huge coop with in built nesting boxes for when everyone is full size). Its much bigger than her last one but not as enclosed. The girls tend to try to lay on top of her while shes in there (and the last box). Tomorrow we will try her old box in case that's part of the puzzle.
For the first two months she sang her egg laying song loudly for hours before laying. The past few weeks have been on and off, quieter in parts. Two days ago it was on and off, but she took about 3x as long as normal to lay a very smallish egg. We figured it had to do with the weather, colder temps, and what feels like easing into autumn.
Today shes been in and out of her box, trying to lay.
We checked her vent; it looks fine.
She's eating normally in between coming in and out of the box.
She isn't doing the egg bound squat.
She has and eats the crushed oyster shell.
Tonight, she fell asleep in her nesting box trying to lay. Two girls stayed and fell asleep with her, and we moved them while asleep into the coop.
We're assuming its a season change she's stopping laying, but we're worried, since we're new to this and her and her cycles.
Is there anything else to check?
Do chickens try to keep laying in the days they're stopping to lay for the season?
Thanks!
I have a momma hen not laying all of a sudden, first time chicken owners question.
Question:
Do chickens try to keep laying in the days they're stopping to lay for the season?
All the details:
We have had our first five chickens, brooder hen (indian game bantam) and four orpingtons, since November. As soon as the chicks were old enough, mum started laying at the start of summer. She has laid everyday for almost 2.5 months (surprising for her breed). The girls are about 16 weeks and starting a new molt, while she's only lost one feather this week. We don't know her age.
We've had a cyclone the past week, lots of rain, constant dark skies, low temps for the end of summer here in NZ. We made a new, more waterproof nesting box about three days ago. (The nesting box is separate from the coop, as we're in the process of building a huge coop with in built nesting boxes for when everyone is full size). Its much bigger than her last one but not as enclosed. The girls tend to try to lay on top of her while shes in there (and the last box). Tomorrow we will try her old box in case that's part of the puzzle.
For the first two months she sang her egg laying song loudly for hours before laying. The past few weeks have been on and off, quieter in parts. Two days ago it was on and off, but she took about 3x as long as normal to lay a very smallish egg. We figured it had to do with the weather, colder temps, and what feels like easing into autumn.
Today shes been in and out of her box, trying to lay.
We checked her vent; it looks fine.
She's eating normally in between coming in and out of the box.
She isn't doing the egg bound squat.
She has and eats the crushed oyster shell.
Tonight, she fell asleep in her nesting box trying to lay. Two girls stayed and fell asleep with her, and we moved them while asleep into the coop.
We're assuming its a season change she's stopping laying, but we're worried, since we're new to this and her and her cycles.
Is there anything else to check?
Do chickens try to keep laying in the days they're stopping to lay for the season?
Thanks!
