Wing It Ranch

[WingItRanch]

Good news. I let both girls out of chicken jail on Friday night and they're back to their normal selves. Special is even back to laying eggs. The Ancona is not yet.

I learned a lesson, though. I removed all the fake eggs from the nesting boxes in hopes that would help prevent broodiness. Well... that was stupid. Since there weren't fake eggs to help spread the hens out to use different boxes, I ended up with 12 eggs in one box and a few of them broken. The ones that weren't broken were covered in yolk. I was able to wash 9 of them and stick them in the fridge but can't sell them. That'll teach me...

 

[wrathsfarm]

I think you did the right thing as she seemed to be all over the map, but like @Auntiejessi3 mentioned, she may not have been fully committed yet. You may not see eggs from her for awhile now, depending on if it triggered her to stop laying.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I've read that broodiness can be contagious!

Extremely

I hope this little setup works. I don't have a dog crate and would rather not use one if I don't have to. Hopefully just removing their access to the nest will work.

Anything will work. Most of the time if I don't have chicks in the grow out area I put them in there. It's really just about removing them from their chosen nest and making sure there is no where comfy for them to bed down.

 

[WingItRanch]

I believe all of my pullets are laying now... and one of my regular OEs (not the Onyx OEs) from Ideal lays brown, not green. Oh well. I was hopeful it was just one of my Barred Rocks laying smaller than usual but I've only seen 5 shades of olive and then this little tan one. I'm pretty confident now that It's from my friendliest pullet so I can't be too disappointed (the one I thought was a cockerel because she's always been suspiciously outgoing and friendly).

She looks like an EE mixed with a Welsummer so I guess she didn't get the blue egg gene passed down from the EE side. Her sister looks very similar and lays a pretty olive.

 

[WingItRanch]

I'm seeing a lot of loose feathers in the coop and run... looks like a couple are molting. I took a closer look on my more scraggly looking hens and I do see tiny little feather coming in.

Oddly, my number of eggs hasn't really reduced. Don't hens completely stop laying when they molt? I water glasses a ton of eggs expecting a lull in production!

 

[SJsChickies]

I'm seeing a lot of loose feathers in the coop and run... looks like a couple are molting. I took a closer look on my more scraggly looking hens and I do see tiny little feather coming in.

Oddly, my number of eggs hasn't really reduced. Don't hens completely stop laying when they molt? I water glasses a ton of eggs expecting a lull in production!

That’s what I’ve read too; they stop laying when they molt. My girls are very close to molting so I’m expecting a decrease. It’s good yours haven’t stopped laying!

 

[WingItRanch]

That’s what I’ve read too; they stop laying when they molt. My girls are very close to molting so I’m expecting a decrease. It’s good yours haven’t stopped laying!

Maybe they aren't "officially" molting? This is my first time going through an adult molt.

Edited to say.. I'm not molting, obviously. I'm talking about the hens

 

[SJsChickies]

Maybe they aren't "officially" molting? This is my first time going through an adult molt.

Edited to say.. I'm not molting, obviously. I'm talking about the hens

This will be my first time too. Mine are looking rough and there’s feathers everywhere but I also have some teenagers in the same run that are getting their adult feathers so I feel like the uptick in loose feathers is from them.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Depends on if it's a hard or soft molt. Some of mine will continue to lay thru a soft molt, some do some don't. A soft molt you'll barely tell, you'll see feathers and wonder where they're all coming from.

Hard molts they stop completely, these ones are rough on the girls. I try not to handle them too much, and I'll offer electrolytes and canned tuna in water for a protein boost.

 

[SJsChickies]

Depends on if it's a hard or soft molt. Some of mine will continue to lay thru a soft molt, some do some don't. A soft molt you'll barely tell, you'll see feathers and wonder where they're all coming from.

Hard molts they stop completely, these ones are rough on the girls. I try not to handle them too much, and I'll offer electrolytes and canned tuna in water for a protein boost.

The tuna and less handling is a good tip! I’ll remember that when mine go in to a hard molt.