Laying

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,

We have recently entered the delightful world of chicken keeping (mainly for our 4 year old daughter) and have started off with a Maran ('Buttercup') and a Light Utility Sussex ('Daisy') . Both were purchased in the last week of July.
The Maran started laying on the 11 September and is producing eggs on a regular basis. The Sussex started laying about 10 days later, laid 4 soft shelled eggs and has then stopped and she has not laid an egg since.
She appears fit and well although she has moulted a bit. Please can anyone advise why she may have stopped laying and what if anything we can do to get her to start laying again. Thanks. Ailort.

 

[Tim]

Hi Ailort,

Welcome!

It's unusual for them to start then stop, however this is the time of year when most chooks are moulting. Often birds won't moult in their first year but they sometimes do. When she replaces her feathers, they are 80% protein - so the first thing her body does is shut down egg production since eggs are also mainly protein.

Another factor to consider as the nights draw in, the daylight hours reduce and chooks will reduce and then usually stop laying all together. There is a gland in the eye of our chooks called the pituitary gland. When stimulated by light it produces a hormone that is carried via the bloodstream to the ovary which sets egg production in motion. Nature's own way of getting the birds to lay the most in the spring when they need to hatch their offspring. Commercially of course they keep lights on to keep them laying.

My guess is she may have a (quite fast) moult, then rest over the darker days and start in the spring but she may come into lay at a reduced rate over the darker days it's very hard to say.

I hope this helps,

Tim

 

[Lucylou]

Also on the subject of laying can anyone give me any idea on this.

Out of my 7, 4 should be about to start laying now they're 22 weeks but as most of them are moulting (even the younger ones who are approx 4 weeks younger) I'm assuming they won't till spring.

Anyway my question is this, has anyone had any experience of living in noisy environments with chickens? We live on the outskirts of a country town & In recent months the traffic has changed route & we now get major traffic coming past especially in rush hour :? It used to be relatively peaceful with small road noise only. Apart from it being really annoying for us humans I'm worried for the chooks, there is a particular sound that makes them all rush for cover, its not a bang or car horn or anything obvious, its always a 'woosh' type noise which scares them.
Does anyone know if this is likely to stop them laying? I realise I will probably wait & see but any info gratefully received as I'm mrs impatient :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this information Tim it is much appreciated.

As Sod's law dictates, when we went to the house this morning to let them out into their run, there were two soft shelled eggs from Daisy (the light Sussex) so perhaps she is now going to start laying again. Fingers crossed. :lol:

Ailort

 

[Tim]

Well I'll keep my fingers crossed she will continue and the soft eggs will become hard eggs!

She may well lay through Winter at a reduced rate.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyway my question is this, has anyone had any experience of living in noisy environments with chickens? We live on the outskirts of a country town & In recent months the traffic has changed route & we now get major traffic coming past especially in rush hour :? It used to be relatively peaceful with small road noise only. Apart from it being really annoying for us humans I'm worried for the chooks, there is a particular sound that makes them all rush for cover, its not a bang or car horn or anything obvious, its always a 'woosh' type noise which scares them.
Does anyone know if this is likely to stop them laying? I realise I will probably wait & see but any info gratefully received as I'm mrs impatient :mrgreen:

I think to start with the whooshing noise would frighten the chooks,but,as time goes on and it remains a noise that doesn't harm them,I think they will get used to it.We get noisy low flying planes from a local RAF base flying over where I live.It did startle my chooks to start with,they are used to it now though.
If you're at home when the whooshing noise happens,you could try popping out with some of their favourite food or treats so they associate the noise with something pleasant.Is it the air breaks from a lorry?

 

[Lucylou]

Apologies Ailort I didn't mean to hijack your post. Now I read it again it looks like I completely ignored you, didn't mean to.

Thanks for your idea Lydia, I haven't worked out what's making the noise that frightens them yet, I'm hoping they'll get used to it but not so far.