Anybody else have chickens that aren't paying their rent?

[Smiles Jr.]

<snip> been re-directed to a better spot to go broody in-a pet carrier so i can lock the door when she gets to the last week before hatching.

Why would you want to lock her in a pet carrier for the last week?

 

[desertlady]

<snip> been re-directed to a better spot to go broody in-a pet carrier so i can lock the door when she gets to the last week before hatching.

Why would you want to lock her in a pet carrier for the last week?

Other chickens can kill her babies. they like to eat their eggs too

 

[ducks4you]

The heat really reduced my egg production this summer bc it stresses the birds. I replace my layers every year, now. 1 1/2 yo hens go to the freezer/dinner table after they've reproduced themselves. We eat ALL of the roosters, and I get new ones that are not related to father next year's hatch-lings.
I'm excited bc I have one hen (who lives only with another hen and their rooster) who went broody last week. Should be fun!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

<snip> been re-directed to a better spot to go broody in-a pet carrier so i can lock the door when she gets to the last week before hatching.

Why would you want to lock her in a pet carrier for the last week?

Other chickens can kill her babies. they like to eat their eggs too

yes. the other hens will drag out a newly zipped chick and kill them in an instant. i've witnessed this once and i've said never again do i want that to happen to a poor little baby in my coop! momma needs to spend the first week or two with her chicks alone before i allow them to integrate into the flock so they know to run to her if there is trouble. other hens will be clumsy and crush eggs that are close to hatching too, so it is to protect the eggs. if i don't let my broody finish her job she will remain broody till she hatches something on her own. :/

 

[HotPepperQueen]

Just added three more birds to my flock today. Black Australorps, hatched the middle of April, began laying eggs a couple weeks ago. I also added 3 Speckled Sussexs about a month ago hoping to get egg production up again. Between 18 chickens that are of laying age, I only get about 9 eggs a day lately which is phenomenal compared to a month ago when I was only getting 5 a day. Hopefully things start picking up for everyone! Hopefully fall weather is our answer....

 

[wsmoak]

Gah! I mentioned that two are broody, and now one of the others is falling apart! Feathers everywhere! (Molting. Yet another reason not to lay any eggs.) -Wendy

 

[lesa]

Geez, I found so many feathers in the chicken yard yesterday, I thought for sure something had gotten in and killed one! No, just molting!

 

[HotPepperQueen]

My two old hens just went through a really rough molt. They basically looked like bald skeleton chickens. It definitely took a toll on one- she slept all the time and wasn't laying, but today she laid an egg and it was a double yolker! The other though continued to lay an egg a day but she ate and drank more than I've ever seen. Now that they are back on track I am hoping some of my about-to-lay pullets will finally START laying. So many different factors going on that are preventing good egg production. I figured if I wanted to supply everyone with eggs that has asked me, my chickens would have to produce 24 eggs a day- that's every single hen I have, every single day. Just insane. People don't realize how easy it is to raise a few hens, and they also don't realize how chicken math works

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I've noticed the molting too, but of my older hens.

My newbies are still not laying. It's been 24 weeks, I can't hold out hope for them much longer. 24 weeks for a sex-link is pushing it. I wonder if the stress of the heat this summer has thrown all their internal clocks off? Mine are looking bright with shiny feathers and their combs are coming in nicely. Other than not laying, they are perfectly healthy.

eta: If I talk badly about them enough, it might provoke one to lay an egg just to be obstinate, lol.

 

[desertlady]

I've noticed the molting too, but of my older hens.

My newbies are still not laying. It's been 24 weeks, I can't hold out hope for them much longer. 24 weeks for a sex-link is pushing it. I wonder if the stress of the heat this summer has thrown all their internal clocks off? Mine are looking bright with shiny feathers and their combs are coming in nicely. Other than not laying, they are perfectly healthy.

eta: If I talk badly about them enough, it might provoke one to lay an egg just to be obstinate, lol.

their ages varies when they try to lay an egg. try putting an fake egg in their nest, maybe they will think about it !