chickens stopped laying

[Jax]

Hiya,

My girls were laying really well but a couple of weeks ago they slowed down laying then they stopped completely. We changed their coop just over a week ago now, but we still have no eggs. They had just gotten into laying properly aswell. We have had about 3 eggs in the last 2 weeks. Seems strange they layed happily throughout the snow but have stopped now. I am wandering possibly worms? What do you guys think?

[mothhawk]

Are they broody? It has been very warm lately.

[RichmondHens]

Possibly - when did you last worm them? if they haven't been wormed in the last couple of months then do them now. Or could they be laying away somewhere? Or something getting in and stealing the eggs - rats or magpies?

[Jax]

I dont think any of them are broody. I thought one was going broody for a while as I found some hidden eggs but that all seemed to stop. I have been looking around for other places and there arent any. I am fairly sure nothing is getting in and stealing the eggs but I will make sure of this, just incase. I am going to worm them just incase.

[Jax]

I know whats happening, I dont know how to stop it but I know whats happening. I have a broody hen, I thinkthe naughty one!! She is hiding the eggs and the others are eating them. I have found at least 3 remnants of eggs.

[RichmondHens]

Are you sure the others are eating them? Do you think it could be magpies? Broody hens are very clever with their hiding places but crows or magpies soon find them. The others will have dried yolk on their beaks and faces if they are eating the eggs.

If they are eating them however then you do have a problem, especially if it's more than one hen. You can try the usual tricks of mustard in an old egg shell (some people say peri peri sauce works well) or golf balls in the nest box which they can't peck open. Otherwise use a roll away nestbox. It won't stop the other hen laying away though.

[Jax]

Its definitely the chickens as there was still some liquidy egg in a nesting box and we found one eating it. I put 2 golf balls in each nesting box which they went nuts pecking at and there was alot of very eggy poos in the run. I also added extra straw to the boxes etc. if that doesnt work then I will try mustard in an egg shell. I also read milky water with pepper in can do the same trick. Hopefully we can nip this habit nice and quickly.

[chris]

Are you sure that they're intentionally eating the eggs? I found with mine, which I thought was an egg eater (was a bit annoyed as I thought I was going to have to get rid of her) that the eggs were being stepped on, by my largest bird who it's a clumsy so and so - cracked - and then as soon as they were cracked they'd be munching on them.

Since then I've been collecting before I goto work - get my wife to check mid day, and then when i'm back from work - no issues now

[Jax]

what has just sprung to mind is that when its raining they wont come out of their coop and an egg or 2 got trodden on as trixie is hiding them and then eaten. When I found Molly eating the egg she got really grumpy when we tried to move her. All egg remains have been removed and I am constantly checking for eggs which are few and far between at the moment with the weather. Probably lucky we arent getting many eggs so we can break this habit.

[Scarlet]

If their staying in the coop during the day you could put strips of black fabric/plastic over the nest boxes to stop the eggs being on show, more golf balls etc. Once they have the taste it is very hard habit to stop. Good luck!

[Jax]

I am hoping to get some sunshine so they come out abit more. The last couple of days have been non stop rain! I am optimistic and hopefully we have caught it early enough to break it.

[Jax]

we got an egg!!! and they didnt seem to bothered about it so maybe we have managed to kerb it