SusLaLuz
In the Brooder
I know what the causes are in general, but I can't figure out the mystery of why my flock has quit laying.
Background
3: 1-year laying cuckoo marans (top of pecking order)
5: 6-month easter eggers (2 laying for a couple of weeks before this)
1: speckled sussex roo
Coop: plenty roosting space, 6 nesting boxes (although they all use the same one), clean, good ventilation, lots of layer feed/water/grit/oyster shell, occasional scratch
Run: huge (over 100 sq ft), protected, sun and shade, lotsa good bugs & plants
We had a heat wave a gew weeks back and I saw a slow drop of production, which resulted in the last egg being laid over two weeks ago. Around the same time, I noticed one of my cuckoo Marans hanging out in the nesting box that they all share. It wasn't very often, but she steadily increased how often she was hanging out in there over a few days to the point where she was sleeping in the box instead of on the roost. She never clucked or puffed up at me when I shooed her off the nest and I never observed her getting mean to any other girls getting close. Just to be safe, I closed the nest, but then noticed her in the next one over the next day. I assumed I had a Broody girl on my hands and that's what was affecting production. I took the steps to break her of her broodiness and get her back on the roost at night. We went a couple of nights with her on the roost so I opened the nest back up. It has been a few days and still no eggs from anyone. And last night I noticed her hanging out in a completely different nesting box, but shooed her out and she seemed to go peacefully enough.
Is she still broody? Was she actually ever if she was so ok coming off the nest? Is this what has caused all the girls to stop laying if she hasn't really been that mean and they have so many nesting boxes? If so, when could I expect a return to production after she finally quits being broody?
And no, they're not laying anywhere else, I checked.
What gives?!? I was JUST starting to get eggs from my EEs!
Background
3: 1-year laying cuckoo marans (top of pecking order)
5: 6-month easter eggers (2 laying for a couple of weeks before this)
1: speckled sussex roo
Coop: plenty roosting space, 6 nesting boxes (although they all use the same one), clean, good ventilation, lots of layer feed/water/grit/oyster shell, occasional scratch
Run: huge (over 100 sq ft), protected, sun and shade, lotsa good bugs & plants
We had a heat wave a gew weeks back and I saw a slow drop of production, which resulted in the last egg being laid over two weeks ago. Around the same time, I noticed one of my cuckoo Marans hanging out in the nesting box that they all share. It wasn't very often, but she steadily increased how often she was hanging out in there over a few days to the point where she was sleeping in the box instead of on the roost. She never clucked or puffed up at me when I shooed her off the nest and I never observed her getting mean to any other girls getting close. Just to be safe, I closed the nest, but then noticed her in the next one over the next day. I assumed I had a Broody girl on my hands and that's what was affecting production. I took the steps to break her of her broodiness and get her back on the roost at night. We went a couple of nights with her on the roost so I opened the nest back up. It has been a few days and still no eggs from anyone. And last night I noticed her hanging out in a completely different nesting box, but shooed her out and she seemed to go peacefully enough.
Is she still broody? Was she actually ever if she was so ok coming off the nest? Is this what has caused all the girls to stop laying if she hasn't really been that mean and they have so many nesting boxes? If so, when could I expect a return to production after she finally quits being broody?
And no, they're not laying anywhere else, I checked.
What gives?!? I was JUST starting to get eggs from my EEs!
