Hens in lay

[Sue]

Need some advice from some of you more experienced chicken keepers.

we bought 4 new bantams this autumn to boost the laying stock as we only had 3 older girls left - 2 in their second season and a freeloader who has never laid a thing. The new girls were bullied a bit at first but it all settled down quickly.

All the hens seem to moult very late this year. 2 of the new stock have moulted and 1 started laying a few weeks ago. The other is just starting with the odd egg here and there. The final 2 are Yokohamas and they have moulted, but so far no signs of combs reddening up or any eggs. Is that normal with a late moult and will they only start now with the spring?

Thanks for any advice.

Sue

[Chantal]

I have two youngsters that are still not laying. Anna hasn't laid for over a month and Cuckoo laid one egg last October and gave up. They're less than a year old so I guess they're still learning. I don't recall either of them moulting more than a few feathers either. My other bird, Selsey, is the same age, moulted in the Autumn and has laid 6 eggs a week right through. Who knows what's going on.

[sandy_v]

Come the spring you'll probably have plenty of eggs, but right now it's still very early in the year and the nights are still very long. Lots of hens slow down or stop in the winter, even if you give them extra light.

It's partly down to breed/strain, some will lay in the winter and others won't. If you want winter eggs maybe you need a different breed of birds?

[Sue]

Thanks Chantal & Sandy. It's not the having a couple of months off laying that I am worried about. I was just curious because my chicken book says young birds should moult in their first autumn and then go into lay which tides you over while the older birds have their winter break. I just wondered if the late moult and odd autumn and winter weather had confused things. Maybe I've just got bonkers hens because they never do what the book says - sigh.

Guess I'll have to wait till spring until they all start up again. It's just the other half keeps complaining he's got 7 chickens scoffing corn and producing about 4 eggs a week between them. He's taken to going out there and shouting PAXO! at them which I'm not sure is helping

Sue

[Chantal]

Contact Sue at the Wernlas Collection if you're worried. I've rung there for advice and bought my chickens from her, brilliant people.

http://www.twotone.co.uk/Wernlas/

Chantal

[Sue]

I'll give her a call if they are still not laying in a few weeks. Hope you are feeling better. At least you have got the mad lot on the forum to keep you company while you are off sick.

Sue

[Chantal]

Thanks Sue, much better and back to work next week. You're never alone with this forum...

Chantal

[darren c]

Maybe the late moult was caused by the indian summer we had last year.As for the laying they will clip off a bit whilst in the moult .Having moulted so late they will take longer to recover during the colder darker months. Hang in there they should start laying when the days are warmer and longer.I bought mine in september and took 3 months to start laying consistently.

[John]

Hello Sue
I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just be patient and they'll all get back into egg-laying when the longer, warmer days come. I have a Sussex Star that has only just finished moulting! Its no bad thing when they are not laying for a bit as it gives them a good chance to build up and get back into good condition.

John

PS Practical Poultry mag has a very good web site for chicken problems but they seem to be offline at the moment.

[Diane]

Another excellent chicken website is www.pekinbantams.com

Loads of info there.

[Sue]

Sorry about that but the big news is we have eggs in them thar nest boxes - hooray

We have had the grand total of 7 eggs so far since Saturday. We were getting about 4 a week if we were lucky. Had a couple of odd shaped small eggs amongst them, so I think the rest of the new girls not quite in lay yet are practising. The OH has stopped shouting Paxo at them and is cooing over 'his' girls - funny how they are my smelly chickens when they need cleaning out

I guess spring has sprung in the chicken world. Must be catching because the pond is starting to fill up with frogs as well. Bring it on I say - spring is the best!

Sue

[Chantal]

I have one big girl (Sussex Buff) and two bantems. Selsey (my Buff) has gone broody and is sitting on an empty nest box all day without laying but now the two banties are both sat with her, one under each wing! I can't decide if the whole bunch have gone broody or if Cuckoo and Anna have decided that Selsey is actually their mother as she's so much bigger. Chickens are so strange.

[Johnboy]

Hi Chantal,
Sounds like the Freeze beckoning time to me !!

[Sue]

Hi Chantal.

I've got a hybrid bantam that is forever going broody. Last summer one of the hens her own age started nesting with her. Then I noticed her begging for food like a chick. The daft hybrid did feed her with titbits she had found like she was her chick. Not sure if they were collectively bonkers or if the other hen had cottoned on that this was an easy ride.

Sue

[Chantal]

Hi Johnboy

Big freeze? Can chickens predict the weather?