The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Stereo on July 09, 2016, 03:02:43 pm
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Had a massive drop off in eggs in the last week. Suspected crows but staked out and not seen any. Just no eggs. Today feathers everywhere. No sign of mite and plenty of fresh water / feed. Anyone else seen this? Maybe this crazy weather? Today have had 1 egg out of 150 birds over many pens.
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I've had them moult early before although none yet this year - well apart from the geese. I'm having awful problems with crows so no eggs due to that but they are not subtle so you would have spotted them. Oh, and my ducks who traditionally have laid in the morning in the shed before being let out have taken to nesting in the thistles enabling the crows even easier access. None of which seems relevant to you! Hopefully if all your birds are moulting now, they'll be through it soon.
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Funny you should say that my hens have started to moult this week. Massive drop in eggs, crows have been a problem too but I don't think the hens are laying the eggs in the first place. The leghorn pullets I bought back in November have completely stopped laying and look horrendous! The oldest hen I have hasn't laid at all this season but has tried to go broody despite having started to moult. My ducks are still laying well though, very strange.
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I've only got 8 hens - (had 9, but one died yesterday - suddenly no warning, suspect eggbound, she was 6 or 7) - since May there's always been at least one of them moulting. I get on average 5 eggs a day from them and some of them are quite old. I put it down to the huge variations in weather. They (and I) just don't know what is going on :innocent:
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Shock?
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Maybe shock but not sure what from. They have big grass pens and plenty of fresh water, safe nest boxes etc. Haven't lost any to predators so not sure what is up. It's a quiet spot.