The Poultry Keeper

frenchchick · Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 8

Hi

How much does the weather affect the chickens and their laying?

I've only had my chickens (6) for a few weeks and they were giving me 4 eggs a day right from the start. However, here in the Vendee the last few days have been thundery and humid. A huge sheet lightening storm the other night and today the temperature is over 80. I've noticed the chickens being bad tempered with each other and yesterday one of them laid a soft shelled egg out of the nest box.

They are free range with loads of big trees to shelter under from the rain/sun.

Does the weather affect them like this?

I make sure the water drinker is full with fresh water every day. How about a washing up bowl of water to play in?!!!! Think I'd join them in this!

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 209 Location: charente sw france

Our chickens have been off the lay for the last week or so here in the Charente. Could well be the change in weather/humidity etc or they could be thinking of going into the moult and changing their feathers. This happens every year and does take a lot out of them so a few extra supplements might well help. They'll lay soon enough so don't worry.

frenchchick · Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 8

Thanks for that. What kind of supplement should I give them if they are going into moult?

So far I've been a bit mean - hoping they'll get enough nourishment from layers pellets and all the grass and weeds they could wish for. Plus in the last couple of days they've attacked my lettuces (I said they were free range!) which they've ignored up til now. I thought I'd cut one for a salad yesterday, hesitated for a couple of hours and now they're almost gone!

Instead of fencing in the chickens I think I'll be fencing in the veg plot!

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1406 Location: Manchester

were the chickens from a free range place? Could this have been their first thunderstorm? If so they could just be streesed a little from it and should hopefully settle back down soon enough - some apple cider vinegar and garlic in the water should help to perk them up too

mojo · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:15 pm Post subject:

i find hens dont seem to like thundestorms but coqs dont worry too much.........or maybe its i just watch the hens more........but weather changes seem to affect them .storms they dislike but rain in summer is a outside shower...............ACvinegar at 2% dilution in plastic water containers for 1 week per month works as a general tonic

frenchchick · Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 8

Thanks everyone for your info. Garlic no problem here in France but I'll have to search in the supermarket for the cider vinegar. They must stock it - there's every vinegar under the sun here - except Sarsons Malt!!

They seem OK this morning so I think it was just the humid/thunderstormy weather after all. They don't mind the rain at all.

nigel · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:46 am Post subject:

buying cider vinager at a supermarket is the expensive way to do it. Look at your animal feed merchants it's usually with the horsey stuff

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

Plenty of cider vinegar in France, Frenchchick Wink

mojo · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject:

gamme verte sell it as well as all supermarkets..........even biofoods stock the unfiltered stuff(i think thats best) and at 2% dilution doesnt work out too expensive