The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Eagledance on September 01, 2009, 08:33:46 am

Title: aaaargh
Post by: Eagledance on September 01, 2009, 08:33:46 am
It can't be time for my hens to stop laying yet can it? They are 1 year old black rocks - I thought they would keep laying )less regulalry) through the winter?
BUT yesterday from 3 hens I got 1 micro egg (I hen is just back from the brrody box so can excuse her) the egg was smaller than a bantam's - any one seen this before?

What's going on?

Ed :(
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Rosemary on September 01, 2009, 09:21:18 am
Weather?
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 01, 2009, 11:24:55 am
I have 9 hens and got 2 eggs yesterday, one of them broke when i carried it in - softish shell.  Only one the day before, haven't looked to day yet.  Just off out there now.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: JD on September 01, 2009, 01:35:54 pm
I have gone from 3 to 1 egg a day from my three hens for the past week. Last night they went to bed before eight o'clock!
JD
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: jameslindsay on September 01, 2009, 01:40:01 pm
My hens are all laying great just now its the ducks that are irregular.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 01, 2009, 03:15:09 pm
I have no duck eggs at all
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: shetlandpaul on September 01, 2009, 04:29:16 pm
maybe they are moulting one of mine is a tadge bald at the moment.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Roxy on September 01, 2009, 04:44:08 pm
I have 60 free range hens, and over the last couple of weeks, the eggs have tailed off, some days we are lucky to get 6 eggs!!  Banties still laying well though.  Feathers just coming out on the hens, so it must be moulting time again.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Wellieboots on September 01, 2009, 04:52:20 pm
If yer chooks are moulting then they can lay at the same time - energy is put into either or, not both. I've got 7 Black Rocks (down from 10!) and whilst they laid all through last winter they have all become broody this year (they are also a year or so old) & if you read the books, BK's are "supposed" to have been bred with the tendancy for broodiness bred out! Aye richt.

Grin & bear it I'm afraid. I've just had the first few eggs from the new lot this year, all the same age yet only 1 has a decent comb & wattle & has started to lay ottie tottie eggs just now!

Great for making quinells with ala chef stuff ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 01, 2009, 04:55:28 pm
What in heavens name are "ottie tottie " eggs? ???
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Wellieboots on September 01, 2009, 04:57:43 pm
wee small wans
ikkle little wans
pure died sma ones

Eggs that are rather on the smaller side than one would desire

Once they get into the "egg of it" then they'll get up to a suitable size :farmer:
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 01, 2009, 04:59:31 pm
Ah, I see - the 'pure deid sma' makes sense - my father was Glaswegian.  What language is 'ottie tottie' ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Wellieboots on September 01, 2009, 05:04:28 pm
For my sins I spent a year working in Bristol & "ottie tottie" was a well used phrase for small things...mind you they also say "aalwrite my sausage" & "aalwrite my luvver" when paying for stuff at Tesco, somewhat disconcerting (sp!) when all your after is a pint of milk! :P
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: little blue on September 01, 2009, 08:40:44 pm
My new boss is from Bristol and announced today they had "long Rs" Looks fine typed, but we're in deepest darkest Derbyshire, so we all looked at her rear, as she explained "like faarrrrm!"
(maybe you had to be there......)

I understood ottie tottie, p'raps Im not that northern
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: BlackRocks on September 01, 2009, 09:37:57 pm
My 4 Black Rocks continue to lay fine - 1 egg each per day (apart from one who has been a bit poorly but seems on the mend so hopefully will start laying again any day now!). I am no expert, but I assume that as your hens are about a year old then the moult seems the most obvious reason for the tailing off of laying. If they are displaying the sighns of moult then I would assume that is what it is. Give them poultry spice and wait for them to recover. It must take an awful lot of energy to grow a new plumage, poor things! If no signs then maybe think again.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: northfifeduckling on September 01, 2009, 10:22:54 pm
I would check that you don't find evidence of egg eating, just in case.  :&>
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: sandy on September 06, 2009, 06:25:42 pm
I'm from  Leicestershire and have a short tongue so maybe thats the reason for my short r's ;)
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Unicorn on September 06, 2009, 06:30:53 pm
I'm from  Leicestershire and have a short tongue so maybe thats the reason for my short r's ;)

I didn't realise that Sandy - How tall are you?
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 06, 2009, 06:32:59 pm
About fve foot nothing, I'd guess! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 06, 2009, 06:36:07 pm
My 4 Black Rocks continue to lay fine - 1 egg each per day (apart from one who has been a bit poorly but seems on the mend so hopefully will start laying again any day now!). I am no expert, but I assume that as your hens are about a year old then the moult seems the most obvious reason for the tailing off of laying. If they are displaying the sighns of moult then I would assume that is what it is. Give them poultry spice and wait for them to recover. It must take an awful lot of energy to grow a new plumage, poor things! If no signs then maybe think again.

I find it strange that ex batts keep on laying even though they arrive with virtually no feathers.  Admittedly it's erratic but I wonder if the farmers have it all wrong - I hope they have and they continue to get it wrong.  Maybe the battery hens would start laying every day again if they had a short feather holiday. ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: sandy on September 06, 2009, 07:03:39 pm
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Others/others-220.gif)5ft.1" the " is important!!!!
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: doganjo on September 06, 2009, 07:47:43 pm
 ;) ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

OKAY!!!  Five Foot One Inch! ;)
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Unicorn on September 06, 2009, 09:56:42 pm
I believe it is because they are in heat that they lose their feathers - there not actually in the moult.

Thats why they still lay eggs.
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: sandy on September 06, 2009, 10:02:08 pm
Do chickens have hot flushes then, (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-023.GIF)
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: Unicorn on September 06, 2009, 10:17:13 pm
Probably when there crammed into a heated shed - I certainly would ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: aaaargh
Post by: sandy on September 06, 2009, 10:24:57 pm
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Cool/cool-045.GIF)