If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can have roosters, you probably won’t think twice about the rampant crowing. You wouldn’t be wrong, either! Most areas that are very rural or zoned agricultural are pretty rooster-friendly, so it would never be an issue that pops up. Though, there are a few circumstances that might require you to keep your boys quiet, let’s see the best way to deal with a roosters crow…. CONTINUE READING
by The Happy Chicken Coop
First of all, don’t panic, egg production changes for many reasons, and they aren’t all bad, so let’s narrow it down and take a look at all the different scenarios. We’ll start with the most common reasons.
Molting
Every year your chickens will molt, in other words, lose their feathers and grow new ones. Unfortunately, it also means most hens won’t lay eggs until their molt cycle is done. However, there are variations to that rule. The molting process is fully explained HERE.
The Broody Hen
When a hen is broody, it means she wants to hatch eggs and raise chicks. Some breeds are more broody than others, for instance, Silkies. When a hen decides to go broody, there is little you can do to change her mind! She’ll stay in her nest and sit on her eggs, other bird’s eggs, or nothing at all! Remember, just because you don’t have a rooster, doesn’t mean your hen won’t go broody. A hen will become broody and sit on eggs whether they’re fertilized or not.
The pic below is a broody Silkie, notice how she has a flattened appearance or looks spread out. That’s a classic look for a broody hen. Unfortunately, she will not lay eggs during this time. More Information.
Seasonal
As the days become shorter it is a signal that winter is on its way. It’s natural for hens to lay only a couple of eggs per week in the winter months, sometimes none at all. Hot weather can also affect egg production, here in Phoenix, production can slow or even stop when the heat becomes extreme. Summer Heat Tips.
Stress
If you move your birds, add new birds, or anything that has changed their routine, is a good enough reason to take time off from laying eggs. Sometimes a predator scare can upset a flock and they’ll stop laying for a week or more. Another important factor is your bird’s feed. Make sure they’re consuming quality feed, and I don’t mean chicken scratch. Protein and calcium are essential.
Chickens need adequate space, overcrowding makes for unhappy birds, and this is especially important, why? Because happy hens fill the egg basket! One more thing, pests can also cause a stressful environment, so make sure your birds are not bothered by mites.
Sickness
A sick hen will not lay, ever. All I can tell you about that is to look for the most common signs of illness. Watery eyes, droopy tail, Hen doesn’t leave the nest, coughing, diarrhea, etc. A sick bird is pretty obvious and should be isolated from the flock immediately.
Let’s Not Leave Out the Inevitable…Age
Unfortunately, all hens reach the age when they no longer lay eggs. Of course, some continue to surprise us with an egg well after their productive years. It may surprise you to learn that hens usually only lay eggs until they’re around 3 years old. Their first 2 years are the most productive, then, fewer and fewer as time passes. Except for those special ladies that don’t agree with that statement, and I’ve had a few!
Many people are complaining this drinker overflows and leaves their birds without water, but there’s a simple fix to this problem. This drinker is a good product, but there’s a trick to keeping it from leaking everywhere. I sent my first one back, the second ended up in the shed on a shelf. But now I use it every day and love it.
First of all, I’m sure you already know it’s important to place the drinker on level ground, and up on a cinder block is good practice too. But here’s the real trick to stop it from overflowing. After you fill the drinker full, loosely tighten the cover on top. Remove the black cap on the side allowing the fountain to fill. While it’s filling, loosen the black cover on top (kind of a lot) then tighten it again. This will create the vacuum needed to stop it from overflowing. That’s it!
Which drinker is right for your chickens? It depends on many factors, to say the least. Convenience should certainly be considered, but keep in mind, there are a variety of different drinkers available for many different reasons.
For every need (or problem) someone has no doubt found a solution.
See all the different drinker types, get some ideas, and even learn how to make your own…
Let’s start at the beginning with chicks in the brooder. Chicks don’t just peck each other for lack of something to do. There is an underlying problem causing them stress and/or aggravation. As with any living creature, the first and foremost necessity for well-being is comfort.
If a brooder lamp is necessary for warmth it shouldn’t be a blast of blinding light. You may want to make the switch from heat lamps altogether and switch to radiant heat from a radiant heat plate. This will solve your fluctuating temperature problem, and providing you have a good number of chicks, it will be sufficient in keeping them warm.
Note: If it’s brutal cold… you can supplement with a low-wattage red heat lamp. Low-wattage heat bulbs are sold for reptiles, I usually use a 50 or 100-watt, depending on how cold it is.
I’m convinced that happy and content chickens start in the brooder. It’s easy to tell if the brooder has comfort zones. You should see some birds huddled together under the heat source, some resting alone, some scratching in the litter, and some eating. Watch your chicks, their behavior says it all!
Stressful Conditions Create Unhappy Chickens and Bad Behavior
Pecking problems can begin even when chicks are still in the brooder. At this age, they start pecking the toes of other chicks. When pecking occurs in older birds, they tend to peck the backs, heads, and vent areas. Whether your birds are chicks, pullets, or mature chickens, pecking can turn into a serious matter without intervention.
Pinpointing the Problem
The normal behavior of chickens does include establishing a pecking order. So it’s important to watch your flock to learn the difference between normal and problematic pecking. It’s less likely to have a pecking problem if your flock is uniform in size, age, and breed. All your birds should be in good health as well; those that show signs of weakness are more apt to be a victim of aggressive behavior.
When persistent pecking is observed, check your flock’s environment. Poor living conditions or inadequate nutrition can be a factor in bad behavior. Make sure all members of the flock have access to food and water, even if it means putting it in more than one place. Hens do not take kindly to a shortage of nest boxes either; place them in various areas with easy access.
When there’s excessive pecking brewing in the brooder, it may be something as simple as lighting. Improper or undesirable lighting in the brooder can cause stress, If you’re using clear bulbs in the brooder, switch to red. Check the temperature in their environment, if it’s too hot, or cold, this can contribute to pecking. Adequate space is also vital, whether in the brooder or the coop.
Last, but not least, check for parasites. Examine your birds, their droppings, and the coop, and treat if necessary.
Pecking habits and cannibalism occur when birds are under stress and unhappy.
Take a good look at the environment that has been created for them. Is it what your chickens need to live in harmony?
Definition of Broody: A hen with strong instincts to hatch eggs, whether or not they are fertile, or even present in the nest.
Signs: Your hen won’t leave the nest, appears to not be eating, her feathers are all fluffed up, and she looks a bit spread out. These are classic signs of the broody hen. First of all she isn’t starving, she is eating and drinking, but it’s low on her list of priorities. She may only eat just enough to survive. The fact that she isn’t sitting on eggs won’t make a difference to her, so don’t assume she’ll just give up in a day or two, she won’t. This behavior could last weeks, and during that time period she will not lay eggs.
Her behavior can be disrupting as well, she may not allow the other members of the flock near her nest, not only is that opening the door for drama, but the laying cycle of the entire flock can be disturbed. Make sure you have enough nest boxes for your flock.
What to Do
You can sometimes discourage the broody hen by moving her nest box, covering it, or to the less dedicated lady, simply take her from the nest a few times the first day. However, there are some with very strong instincts and you may actually have to change her environment completely by moving her to another place. This might take her mind off sitting on eggs and back to laying them.
Another trick that I use here at the ranch is getting air underneath the hen. The best way to do this might require a few changes to your nest area, but it’s well worth the effort. I don’t like keeping my birds on a wire grate in the nesting place, but I do have have a place with that option for the simple solution of breaking the behavior of the broody hen.
I have a piece of plywood covering the wire grate in their nest area, over that is a gracious amount of grass hay. When the occasional broody hen occupies the nest, I simply remove the plywood, by exposing the wire grate, the hen has air flow under her – which to her, is completely unacceptable.
Note: It’s important to act quickly when addressing the broody hen, the longer you allow it to continue, the longer you will have to wait before she starts laying eggs again.
TBN Ranch Chicken Keeping Resources 