Worried about neighbor's use of Round-up

[dearprudence]

Our hens stopped laying mid-summer, at the height of the laying season. Our neighbor, whose property abuts our yard, sprays herbicide to kill any plants growing next to our coop yard. I've read that Round-up stops egg production (oogenesis). During the period he was spraying, our hens' combs turned dull and grey and they were not doing well. Now that it is winter, the neighbor has stopped spraying and our hens' combs are red again and they are laying eggs again. Has anyone else had experience with this phenomenon? And if so, how did you handle it?

 

[nuthatched]

Any chance it was molting?

 

[dearprudence]

Dumb question: do hens all molt at once? Because they all stopped laying.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Dumb question: do hens all molt at once? Because they all stopped laying.

They can. Did you see them molting?
I wouldn't want my birds around that herbicide regularly. Is there any way you can get them away from that section of your yard?

 

[Blue Raptor]

Our hens stopped laying mid-summer, at the height of the laying season. Our neighbor, whose property abuts our yard, sprays herbicide to kill any plants growing next to our coop yard. I've read that Round-up stops egg production (oogenesis). During the period he was spraying, our hens' combs turned dull and grey and they were not doing well. Now that it is winter, the neighbor has stopped spraying and our hens' combs are red again and they are laying eggs again. Has anyone else had experience with this phenomenon? And if so, how did you handle it?

Welcome to BYC!!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Like @DobieLover suggested, I'd try moving my birds further onto my own property.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome. I'd be moving my coop away from the property line if at all possible.
Have you spoken to the neighbor? Maybe he'd let you take care of the weeds on the property line.

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC Hope you can work something out with your neighbor or move your chickens o another area of your yard.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Regardless of why they stopped laying, don't take any chances. That stuff is poison, you need to move your coop and birds away from this side of the property. Build a fence a distance away from this line too so birds cannot eat foliage that could possibly be sprayed.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!