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A couple of ideas on your dilemma:

(1) It's getting to be about molting time, when birds stop to shed feathers

(2) Chickens need 14 hours of light per day to lay. When it falls below that, production falls off (which is why egg numbers go down in the winter)

(3) The pig is stressing the birds...confine the pig or put an electric wire barrier around the perimeter of your pen so the pig does not get near the fence.


The bullying aspect of your seabright can best be described as establishing pecking order... Kind of normal in a flock.

Good luck!
 
I was also going to ask if they could possibly be molting as their age seems about right. Another consideration, if your one consistent layer is over two years old, egg production will, naturally, start to drop off.

A couple of things that may or may not help, you might try installing a light with a timer in their coop. As Peep Show stated, chickens require 14 hrs. of light a day to produce eggs and adding the light in their coop may be enough to get things going.

Another trick you may want to try, I have read that old school farmers would get a chicken that had quit laying back on track by offering them some sprouted grains (oats, barley, wheat) in addition to their regular layer feed. We offer a small amount of sprouted barley to our hens daily and we consistently get 4 to 5 eggs a day from our five hens.
 
I just thought of one more thing that might kick start them. You might try offering them some oyster shell in a separate dish from their regular food. We always have some around for our girls just in case they feel the need for it.
 
we have had the pig since last november and has always been able to roam free together the chickens and him get along great actually they will lay on him in the winter months its funny. he's just bored and destructive when we put up any fencing around them he likes to lay between the two coops.

i will try the oystershell and the grains. i just found out (since posting) that the kids when they fed the chickens were accidently feeding them the grower chick crumbles instead of the layer crumbles they switched back a week ago.. so yeah that could be why too :-/ oh and the light!

the seabright as never let up on them though she does it constantly i figured they would be some harmonious times and having them together in the coop would get them used to each other, granted it is worse now. so the molting time could explain that.

my rhode Islands and the seabright both started laying at 6-8 months old, is it odd that the new chicks haven't laid yet at 9 months? or is it just the time of year/light?
 
Peepshow! Glad to hear from you and that you're enjoying your new digs.

Wow! Your extreme hatching adventures are crazy. Are all the eggs from different sources, all mailed, or any locally acquired eggs?

My male to female ratio was weighted heavily male last year but this year I ended up with only one boy out of six I hatched out.
I got eggs shipped from California for several broodies and was happy enough with what I ended up with after some of the broodies quit.

So maybe shipping from as close to local as possible is the answer for both of us since your incubator is working great.

Still enjoying Hortense and Eloise, my Wheaten Marans from you.

It's funny though, it's the mutts I have kept around for the longest.
 
400

The promised CCL pic. One of two pullets from tumbleweed.
 
VegasChick:

Yes, all shipped (eBay) eggs, save and except a dozen TJ eggs here in ABQ that were packed just 3 days earlier. Actually, the closest sex-link provider (as I'm just not into raising roos) is in CO (325 miles away) AND at a higher elevation. It could be a grand experiment. So perhaps Bielefelders are on the agenda next....and some more of those cute TJ eggs if I can find them. The one I ended up with from the last hatch looks like an Austra White, white with 3 black dots (head and each wing).

Never get tired of cute chick pics! Orpies are SO cute!

For those of you hatching/raising CCL: The certifiable roo chick I've got combed up REALLY quick (hatched two weeks ago on the 27th). Do they all do that? The other "supposed" CCL (see pic) has not developed one iota of a comb.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (BIG week-long hot-air balloon gathering) had their special shapes flying yesterday. A chicken floated by my house!
 
Hi Vegas! I am new to the group and to raising chickens. I am in the city limits so I have to have all neighbors within 350 feet of my chickens sign off before I can have them...working on that as well as investigating coops. And of course I am hoping to get some advice on breeds. I have small children so I am looking for friendly chickens that have a decent egg laying rate. I am guessing we only have room for 3-4 and would prefer bantams for the kids. Any advice? Right now I am leaning towards Easter Eggers for production rate and friendliness.
 

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