Baz wrote:
I would have thought it's because the days are getting shorter.
Our really reliable white chicken who used to lay nearly every day has
stopped laying. :-( She seems to have a bit of a bare bottom, so
guess she is either moulting, or someone is bullying her (which is a
bit ironic, cos she used to be the coop bully!)
Its a rat, or a few of the sodding things.
Or it could be a cockeral, or both.

No, I doubt it's either. It's the other chickens.

We came home late last night after a firework display and my torch found a
few eyes and they werent rabbits!

Yeah, we've had them in the past. But one of the opposite gardens has feral
cats in it, so I think we're being spared the rodents atm!

Also one of the little fluffy pullets bought to replace some which I am
told are getting old, turns out to be a cockeral.

Heh, useful. We've always bought ours at POL, except for the bantams, which
we were lucky turned out to be both female when they arrived at 6 weeks old.

It has been a sound enough experience I would say but not for us at the
moment.
We will miss the eggs and their sh@t to compost.

Oh dear, you're giving up the whole thing? We've found that the chickens
are mostly self-contained and require very little actual work, other than
checking up on them a couple of times a day to say 'hello', which is hardly
strenuous.