Our hens (barred rock) have been laying eggs for about 6 weeks now and for as long as I can remember collecting eggs there has always been one egg in a certain box (different area than the others) now yesterday and today there has not been an egg- after this long wiould she suddenly change where she laid? Would she switch areas if she wanted to brood? Or is it normal for the hen to take a few days off after several weeks? Thanks again!
Another question... about where hens lay.
sorry i dont no but very intresting to no,
weimac
i would be for taking some time off. after all, the only chicken who ever laid EVERY day was an aussie!
try putting an egg in that spot and see what happens...
Probably taking a little time off. Some hens are very picky about what nest they lay in. We have one that will peck a hen if it is in "her" nest till it gets out and moves to another nest.
ours would lay one day then take a day or so off. other times i would be in their area and step on an egg. grose! i guess when you gotta go you gotta go. there really is no telling whats up with yours. all chickens are different. if they totally stop laying, then its decision time as to keep, eat or give away. give her time and see what happens.
At our house, we call that living in the coop on full scholarship. They usually start up again after a while
Thanks everybody!
There was an egg there again today and pretty early! But now there is not one in another nest (where there usually is!). I read one person's experience that she noticed her hens would lay a little later each day and then take a short break after 4 or 5 weeks. This would make sense, since mine have been laying for about 6 weeks now. See we found a nest about a week ago that they had hidden. I started wondering if I had a dud hen when they had been laying over 5 weeks and we were still only gettting 2-3 a day. Then my hubby came across a hidden "easter basket" with 24 eggs in it. Those sneaky hens!! well, we moved them since we would like them to lay where we made the boxes and for about five days we got one egg each. So now if I am missing one I feel like I have to start hunting again, but I'll give them a chance- or block their exit until later in the morning!
When we first got our chicks a few years ago, the ones we got seemed to lay all over the place. Out in the woods, in the chicken coop, on the floor of the henhouse, under the nesting boxes, and in the nesting boxes. I guess they just lay wherever they want to or feel they need to. We have 9 nesting boxes of which they use about 3 or 4. I guess it all depends on them. But yes, you might have to start hunting for a "hidden" nest again.
It takes 25 hours to produce an egg. Most hens will lay about an hour later each day and then take a day or so off.
BackyardHens, love the full scholorship comment, too funny.
yeah, mentioned the scholarship deal to some of my hens. said they would have to re-apply this year!
i blocked the door open because of the wind, but it blew closed, so i had to find a nest outside. it was in the usual place. but nearby, i found a pile of goose eggs covered with grass. which explains why one goose doesn't come in at night...
TamaraFaye, are you having those strong winds too? I'm not sure where Fritch is in conjunction to where we are, but we have been having some really blustery days here.
Thought our hens might slack off laying because of the wind but they have done pretty good.
yeah, they look so funny out in the wind. some hunker down now and then in a corner, others try to get out and look like they can't hold their liqour. some even look a little like frizzles!
we are WAY up from you. but basically we sen the wind to you, or you send it to us. look a t map, half way between OKC and ALB, that is us.
wind will be up again on Thursday, hold on to your hats, ladies!
I like a breeze but when it practically blows me over it gets tiring pretty fast.
The girls out there better hold onto their skirts too :)
depends. city girls hold their hair/hats, country girls hold their skirts!
my guineas hold onto their skirts! they are COUNTRY gals...
Wish we were deeper in the country, we are on acreage but not enough for my taste.
Nice guineas. Do you have trouble with them wandering?
they cross the road regularly, but always come home to roost. we trained them
currently, with all the mess from building new pens, they don't always make it INTO the henhouse, and end up on top...
