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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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 Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: Chooks on strike !! |
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We were getting up to 5 - 6 eggs a day from 7 Hens, but for the last week or so, only 2 a day and now only 1 today!
they all seam quite healthy, but they are eating less, any ideas? |
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flock
Joined: 12 May 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Normandie
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject: Off lay |
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Not much to go on, typical reasons are:
Too warm weather
Fright, or disturbance
Aging
Moult (wrong time of year for this though)
Or sometimes they just do that, five hens could take the same 'day off' (or two). Check for red mite, a bit of a dust for mites wouldn't hurt either.
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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Flock
Assuming Too warm weather, Fright, or disturbance , (they are all less than 2 years old) and they have been like this for a week or two now, how long do you think it will be before they get back to normal ?
We had to buy some shop eggs yesterday - just not the same! |
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crazypianolady
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 766
Location: Nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| wemfish wrote: |
how long do you think it will be before they get back to normal ?
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That's the proverbial! The same as 'How long's a piece of string?' When they're ready and not before!
Another factor to consider - One of mine was very late starting to lay, and then stopped, both times she was having her bum plucked by one of the others.
Chickens! They can drive us nuts!
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Kitsune
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 1406
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| have you checked for red mite, they can affect laying quite drastically. |
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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| Kitsune wrote: | | have you checked for red mite, they can affect laying quite drastically. |
I have had a cursory look for red mite's a few times when cleaning out the coup, and found nothing. . do you think I should treat it anyway and if so what's the best way taking cost into account? |
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CP
Moderator
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 16105
Location: Hampshire
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:53 am Post subject: |
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What products (if any) do you have already for treating redmite?
I would treat anyway as a preventative measure because they really do colonise extremely quickly if you have any at all lurking! 
Pressure washer, steam cleaner, creosote, paint stripper flame thingy (can't remember it's real name) but be careful you don't set light to the coop!!
If you have to buy anything then diatom would be my favourite but we use Poultry Shield too, though not as often.  |
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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks CP
I have no products to treat anything, just an occasional wash around the coup to keep it clean'ish
If there are red mites in the coup, will there be any signs to look out for on the chickens, red rash, spots etc?
Would a spray of household insecticide around the coup work or would it affect the chickens? |
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Kitsune
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 1406
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:15 am Post subject: |
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you probably wont notice mites on the birds but if there is a heavy infestation you will get them all over you if you put your hand down in the coop while cleaning them out as they will be disturbed and active. otherwise look out for tiny white moving spots around the cracks and crevasses and larger red mites around the roost or wherever the birds sleep.
I have used a product called indorex which is a household flea spray you can only get at a vets, you have to remove the birds and the water until the spray is all settled then it will be fine to put both back in again.
it says it works for 12 months, it definitely kept my coops creepy crawly free during the mite season last year. |
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hch4971
Joined: 27 Apr 2008
Posts: 24
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:30 am Post subject: |
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just to mention that you can get indorex from any supplier who is trained to supply controlled wormers and it will probably be much cheaper than through the vet. I use wormers-direct.co.uk for all my worming/pest control things because their prices are good and their service is brilliant.
Hope your chooks are soon back to laying for you. |
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Kitsune
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 1406
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 10:00 am Post subject: |
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| aah I didn't know that - thankyou |
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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Update - one hen dropped dead ! I think its just one of those things, because the others seam fine - all happy doing what chickens do. . . |
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Kitsune
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 1406
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Did the hen that dropped dead show any symptoms beforehand?
Since they have all stopped laying I'd be concerned about the others too. |
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wemfish
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 205
Location: Wem Shropshire
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:19 am Post subject: |
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No its was fine, just one less came out in the morning, it was 'stiff' in the corner of the coup ?
The others are all still fine - just one thought, would a change of brand of food have any effect on laying ? |
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