What to do, chook dilemma.

[Mikey]

So I have three chooks, and when we first got them one was a cracking layer, then she caught a cold and had a slight prolapsed vent.

Now she lays about 1 egg every ten days, while the other two lay 5-6 eggs a week. Is it worth persevering with her, or should I get another?

What would you do?

[Alison]

If you're not getting enough eggs then you need to get another chook but as to what you do with her that's got to be your decision. If she's perfectly happy then I'd let her continue to do as she does but I'd see small scale ownership as more of a pet / hobby thing. The other end of the scale is somebody who simply sees a chook as an egg making machine. Am guessing from your post that you're somewhere in between but you'll have to work out how far down the line you are before you do anything drastic

[RichmondHens]

Absolutely agree with Alison. What is she to you - pet or food producer? Keep the former, cull the latter. Either way if you need more eggs get another hen or two, if you have the space.

[baldrick]

dude if you want eggs you need another eglu methinks coz if u got to ask then she is a pet xxx

[Flummery]

Get more than one new hen though. A single hen introduced into an existing group will cause mayhem and be bullied.

[BUFFS]

i would keep her if she were mine,its not her fault she is not up to daily laying,get another 2,2 is company so you will get more eggs,but she can then potter about,giving you the odd egg,good luck with it...

[its hilly]

Tough decision Mikey.
She's not likely to go back to full lay, so you have to work it out from there.
I've got a couple of 'shouldn't really keep thems' due to them being favourites, whereas others have gone without (too) much heartache.
The first is always hardest.

[frias]

My 2 old ex-batts haven't laid for a year. Wouldn't get rid of them though. Just get 2 new POL and let the old girls enjoy retirement. For me it's an easy decision. I want the eggs but the girls are my pets and as long as they are healthy they stay. If they are unwell I take them to the vet and he makes the decision. That's just me though. I realise some people don't have the space or are running a business so can't allow sentiment to get in the way.

[RedThorn]

So, you getting 10-13 eggs a week(this will drop in winter)... is that enough for your personal consumption? That is the deciding factor really. Personally, I had some that were great layers, and some that weren't, but, I had more girls, so it did not bother me. I'd say, get 2-3 more girls then even in winter, you'd never have a shortage.

[chris]

Kind of in the same boat- I have an extremely persistent broody, so it's really like I have 2 layers. I don't class mine as pets, but next year I'll be either replacing her, or getting a couple more.

[Mikey]

Thanks peeps,

I guess she's a pet really, though I often threaten her she's going into the pot if she doesn't buck up her ideas. My dilemma really is that I have an eglu, and they don't house more than 4 birds comfortably, so if I get 2 more then I don't have room for 5!!.

Does anyone know why she has stopped laying, by my reckoning she roughly 40 weeks old. When I cracked open her last egg the shell was a lot thinner than the others, and the yolk was covered in loads of red dots. Could there be an underlying problem?

[baldrick]

doesnt red mite do that?

[Dazy]

All About Eggs By Broadland Eggs - Egg Producer & Supplier Based In Stalham, Norwich, Norfolk, UK

Was curious about the blood spots and found this, quite interesting reading.

[Mikey]

Cheers Dazy, so nothing really to worry about.

She laid yesterday, which is only 4 days since her previous egg. I do hope this is her returning to form.

I wouldn't have thought it would be red mite baldrick, as they entered a clean environment. I've never had chickens in this garden before, and as I have an eglu I can scrub it, which happens every other week without fail. I couldn't say it was impossible though.

[Suechooks]

Red mite is carried by wild birds so can arrive anywhere no matter how clean or chook free!
Last year there was someone on another forum I visit who was ill for a week or two and someone else looked after the hens in the Eglu. At the end of the time it was heaving with the critters - under roosting bars and in joins.
I once tried using a plastic cat carrier as a nest box when the wooden nest box got red mite and the next morning they were in the holes where the plugs are to join top and bottom together - in fact everywhere!
Its a constant battle with the little b@$^***s!