[The Woodsiders]

Hi all.

We have 8 Warrens they are kept as 4 and 4 cos they do not get on despite all the tricks, the 4 which are coming up to a year old have always laid 3 or 4 eggs a day but since the clocks changed and coincidentally the same weekend I built a bigger run area ( 5m x 6m ) for them I am only getting one egg a day, they are wormed regularly and appear to be in good health, checked for mites on them but all ok, what I did notice last week they were not eating their pellets very much, yesterday I put their feeder in the run area and they seem to clear the whole lot, I usually give them Greens  (Sainsburys finest) each morning but did not do it yesterday, the egg I got today had a very pale.

Sorry its a bit of a ramble, hope someone can help.

Many thanks

[doganjo]

Hens, and in fact most birds, are very susceptible to stress.  Even changing their run could have put them off lay.  Give them a few days and they will come back in lay I reckon.

[sam.t]

i had this problem last week went from 18-20 eggs aday(22 hens) to 3-4 took me all week to relise wot was wrong nice weather so thought id leave their shed door open for them to give it a bit of an airing obviousley didnt like it left it shut back to normal lol
sam 

[Roxy]

Hens like their usual routine, and do react to change.  If they were free range I would suggest they are laying somewhere else - mine lay all over the place.
I don't suppose yours can lay anywhere you cannot see?

[The Woodsiders]

Morning all

Thanks for your replies, lets hope they all settle down, will keep you posted.

[valantinas]

Hi
I have a problem too of hens not laying.
I have 8 hens and they are coming up to 2yrs old.  Last year I was getting 8 eggs on a regular basis, even though the winter before last they kept on laying, this winter they seemed to slam to a halt, which I cant blame them for.  Now I think they should have started by now.  I only get 1 or 2 eggs every other day or so.  I see them all regularly going and sitting in their nest boxes, but no eggs.  I know they are not been taken as when I see them leave the boxes I will check if I'm on the allotment.  Also their run is covered over with netting so no other birds can get in to take.  Fenced in all aroung so no preditors can get in either.  Any ideas?  Is it time to change the flock?  I thought they would last longer than 2 years laying, especially the black rocks.

Thanks.

Pete

[doganjo]

No rats getting in underneath, Pete?  They take eggs away whole too.  Have you changed anything?  Routine, nest boxes, netting, flooring?  They really are fussy beggars and don't like change.  I'd expect Black rocks to be laying still at 2 years as well.  You are sure of their ages I take it?

[valantinas]

Thanks.

Pretty much Rat proof, slabs on the floor, concreted around too.  I'm not saying the buggars aren't getting in but don't think they're taking eggs.  Just puzzelled as to why they are sitting as if they are laying, and when the leave the box, no eggs.

Pete

[doganjo]

Have you had a look to see if they are egg bound?  That would be unusual in them all mind you, only likely to be one of them.

[northfifeduckling]

you might have an egg eater amongst them. If you can at all do check at different times during the day and look carefully for evidence of small amounts of liquid egg anywhere. I feel they are too young to be replaced even if they do not lay every day. Our oldest is in her 3rd year and she lays every other or every 3rd day. Try putting a marble or ceramic egg in the nesting box , that may put them off pecking at eggs and also entice them to lay in the same box.

[princesspiggy]

you might have an egg eater amongst them. 

we had that, took us ages to realise, they would eat the whole lot, no evidence left at all! tried to cure them but after 6 mths had to cull them. shame

[northfifeduckling]

we only had one and managed to cure her with a mustard filled egg. she never tried again. The good thing was that she started off when broody so we could tackle the issue when she was on her own with her offspring. Usually they pass the bad habit on to the others and some don't mind mustard...