Apologies for the o/t but I know there are some hen keepers here, and I
don't have a ng that seems appropriate (if there is one, please point me at
it, but I've not spotted an obvious one)

Big Brown Chicken stopped laying over winter (she's just over a year old, I
think), and we assumed it was just a winter slow-down thing. But she
doesn't seem to be in any hurry to start again. Should we be worried about
her at all?
(She's a rhode island red hybrid, looks like this:
http://static.gotpetsonline.com/pict...icken-0001.jpg
)


--

wrote in message
...
Apologies for the o/t but I know there are some hen keepers here, and I
don't have a ng that seems appropriate (if there is one, please point me
at
it, but I've not spotted an obvious one)

Big Brown Chicken stopped laying over winter (she's just over a year old,
I
think), and we assumed it was just a winter slow-down thing. But she
doesn't seem to be in any hurry to start again. Should we be worried
about
her at all?
(She's a rhode island red hybrid, looks like this:
http://static.gotpetsonline.com/pict...icken-0001.jpg
)




How old is she?

Is she eating & drinking well?

Is she swollen up at all?

Are her droppings ok?

Has she been wormed?

And external parasites?

wafflycat wrote:
How old is she?

(As I said above :-) she's just over 1, if I recall correctly.
She was one of our first pair. (Actually, our replacement first pair, cos
the first got taken back cos they were yucky) We got our first about a year
ago, not sure of the date, and she was POL, so I'm guessing she's between 14
and 16 months.

Is she eating & drinking well?

Seems to be.

Is she swollen up at all?

Not that I've noticed.

Are her droppings ok?

Hard to tell whose is whose, but no-one seems to be having problems.

Has she been wormed?
And external parasites?

Hmm, that would be NIck's area, not mine, so I would have to check with him.

However, I've just remembered - over winter we thought we were going to lose
her, cos she had a broken egg, but after some prodding and TLC she
recovered. I wonder if she may have had internal damage that has healed
over but caused a permanent problem?

As you may be able to tell, we're relatively new to this game!

Thanks.

wrote in message
...
wafflycat wrote:
How old is she?

(As I said above :-) she's just over 1, if I recall correctly.
She was one of our first pair. (Actually, our replacement first pair, cos
the first got taken back cos they were yucky) We got our first about a
year
ago, not sure of the date, and she was POL, so I'm guessing she's between
14
and 16 months.

Is she eating & drinking well?

Seems to be.

Is she swollen up at all?

Not that I've noticed.

Are her droppings ok?

Hard to tell whose is whose, but no-one seems to be having problems.

Has she been wormed?
And external parasites?

Hmm, that would be NIck's area, not mine, so I would have to check with
him.

However, I've just remembered - over winter we thought we were going to
lose
her, cos she had a broken egg, but after some prodding and TLC she
recovered. I wonder if she may have had internal damage that has healed
over but caused a permanent problem?

As you may be able to tell, we're relatively new to this game!


She ought to be laying again by now, in fact a one year old will often lay
through the winter, but given her recent problems you might have to be
patient to see if she comes into lay again and if not decide whether you
want to keep her just as a pet.
It all depends on whether you keep your hens only when they are productive.

On 22 Apr, 18:56, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
wrote in message

...



wafflycat wrote:
How old is she?

(As I said above :-) she's just over 1, if I recall correctly.
She was one of our first pair. *(Actually, our replacement first pair, cos
the first got taken back cos they were yucky) *We got our first about a
year
ago, not sure of the date, and she was POL, so I'm guessing she's between
14
and 16 months.

Is she eating & drinking well?

Seems to be.

Is she swollen up at all?

Not that I've noticed.

Are her droppings ok?

Hard to tell whose is whose, but no-one seems to be having problems.

Has she been wormed?
And external parasites?

Hmm, that would be NIck's area, not mine, so I would have to check with
him.

However, I've just remembered - over winter we thought we were going to
lose
her, cos she had a broken egg, but after some prodding and TLC she
recovered. *I wonder if she may have had internal damage that has healed
over but caused a permanent problem?

As you may be able to tell, we're relatively new to this game!

She ought to be laying again by now, in fact a one year old will often lay
through the winter, but given her recent problems you might have to be
patient to see if she comes into lay again and if not decide whether you
want to keep her just as a pet.
It all depends on whether you keep your hens only when they are productive.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In the dim and distant past when we still had Pounds Shillings and
pence and hybrid chickens were just an idea in someones head then eggs
from the breeds of chickens we had then would be around 2/6d to 3/- a
dozen in summer but in the winter they would rise to 7/6p to 10/- a
dozen chiefly because hens slowed down their laying over the winter.
Then along came the fancy hybids and they are capable of laying around
340 eggs in their first year of laying.
She may well start to lay soon and go broody almost at once.
David Hill

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
On 22 Apr, 18:56, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
wrote in message

...



wafflycat wrote:
How old is she?

(As I said above :-) she's just over 1, if I recall correctly.
She was one of our first pair. (Actually, our replacement first pair,
cos
the first got taken back cos they were yucky) We got our first about a
year
ago, not sure of the date, and she was POL, so I'm guessing she's
between
14
and 16 months.

Is she eating & drinking well?

Seems to be.

Is she swollen up at all?

Not that I've noticed.

Are her droppings ok?

Hard to tell whose is whose, but no-one seems to be having problems.

Has she been wormed?
And external parasites?

Hmm, that would be NIck's area, not mine, so I would have to check with
him.

However, I've just remembered - over winter we thought we were going to
lose
her, cos she had a broken egg, but after some prodding and TLC she
recovered. I wonder if she may have had internal damage that has healed
over but caused a permanent problem?

As you may be able to tell, we're relatively new to this game!

She ought to be laying again by now, in fact a one year old will often lay
through the winter, but given her recent problems you might have to be
patient to see if she comes into lay again and if not decide whether you
want to keep her just as a pet.
It all depends on whether you keep your hens only when they are
productive.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In the dim and distant past when we still had Pounds Shillings and
pence and hybrid chickens were just an idea in someones head then eggs
from the breeds of chickens we had then would be around 2/6d to 3/- a
dozen in summer but in the winter they would rise to 7/6p to 10/- a
dozen chiefly because hens slowed down their laying over the winter.
Then along came the fancy hybids and they are capable of laying around
340 eggs in their first year of laying.
She may well start to lay soon and go broody almost at once.
-----
The broody ability has pretty well been bred out of hybrid hens, although
I've had a couple of hybrids go broody in the past if allowed to live long
enough.
Hybrid hens do lay very well but they are bred to burn out soon - they are a
high octane hen that needs high octane food too.
With the history of a broken egg inside it might be that she won't lay
again. Hybrids lose their shell quality soon (because they've never been
selected for it, it was only necessary to last long enough for the
batteries) and if you do choose to keep them you have to realise you will
not have a long-lived bird and it will be also prone to egg peritonitis.
Tina

Christina Websell wrote:
Hybrid hens do lay very well but they are bred to burn out soon - they are a
high octane hen that needs high octane food too.

Hadn't really thought about that. Do the different breeds have slightly
different food requirements? They all seem quite happy and healthy (apart
from the white one still bullies the others occasionally), but if there's
anything you think they may be missing in their diet, feel free to suggest.
(Nick keeps them stocked on what they 'need', ie, the layers pellets,
chicken spice, grit, etc; my job is to top them up with their favourite
snacks and greenery :-)

With the history of a broken egg inside it might be that she won't lay
again. Hybrids lose their shell quality soon (because they've never been
selected for it, it was only necessary to last long enough for the
batteries) and if you do choose to keep them you have to realise you will
not have a long-lived bird and it will be also prone to egg peritonitis.

Poor Chickeny. :-(
It's not a massive problem if she doesn't lay, I think she will just become
a pet, for as long as she lasts. But it would be better if she was
productive, obv.

Before she had her broken egg problem she was laying bigger and bigger eggs
each day, and they were getting quite scary. She's not a small chicken, but
she didn't look like she should have been producing what she was!

wrote in message
...

It's not a massive problem if she doesn't lay, I think she will just
become
a pet, for as long as she lasts. But it would be better if she was
productive, obv.

Before she had her broken egg problem she was laying bigger and bigger
eggs
each day, and they were getting quite scary. She's not a small chicken,
but
she didn't look like she should have been producing what she was!


As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form laying -
they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...

It's not a massive problem if she doesn't lay, I think she will just
become
a pet, for as long as she lasts. But it would be better if she was
productive, obv.

Before she had her broken egg problem she was laying bigger and bigger
eggs
each day, and they were getting quite scary. She's not a small chicken,
but
she didn't look like she should have been producing what she was!


As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form laying -
they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

That has never been my experience in 30 years of keeping chickens. If a
previously reliable hen stops laying suddenly, something is wrong. Unless
they decide to go broody, of course.
Hens in full lay do not stop laying "for a short break" unless there is a
problem of some kind.
Tina

wafflycat wrote:
As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form laying -
they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

I know they do go off over winter sometimes, but it does seem to have at
least been triggered by the broken egg, which is a bit worrying, and it
doesn't seem to be that short any more. (I can't place when it was, but it
was certainly well before Easter, possibly as far back as Jan)

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...



As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form laying -
they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

That has never been my experience in 30 years of keeping chickens. If a
previously reliable hen stops laying suddenly, something is wrong. Unless
they decide to go broody, of course.
Hens in full lay do not stop laying "for a short break" unless there is a
problem of some kind.
Tina



I've experienced it with one of mine. She was well. My hens are examined
*daily*, as is their poo (!) and if I suspect anything untoward it's off to
the vet for a check-up.

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...



As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form
laying - they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

That has never been my experience in 30 years of keeping chickens. If a
previously reliable hen stops laying suddenly, something is wrong.
Unless they decide to go broody, of course.
Hens in full lay do not stop laying "for a short break" unless there is a
problem of some kind.
Tina



I've experienced it with one of mine. She was well. My hens are examined
*daily*, as is their poo (!) and if I suspect anything untoward it's off
to the vet for a check-up.
I don't agree that a hen that lays well will suddenly stop "for a break" for
no reason.
If that happens, there is something wrong with her.
You have ex-batts, and I have some myself and they continue to lay for
England.

I don't wish this unkindly, but you got your first chickens and tell other
people what to do now. I think I have 30 years on experience.

Tins

Christina Websell wrote:
I don't agree that a hen that lays well will suddenly stop "for a break" for
no reason.
If that happens, there is something wrong with her.

We did think maybe she'd started laying again, as we were getting brown eggs
of the right size but in slightly different shades, but I think in hindsight
it may have just been from the day the boys fed Bluebell a whole hill of
dandelions.

You have ex-batts, and I have some myself and they continue to lay for
England.

All laying figures are "in the first year". What kind of rate do they go
down to after they are a year old? And how old do they tend to get to
before going off altogether? (or going off to a better place!)

I don't wish this unkindly, but you got your first chickens and tell other
people what to do now. I think I have 30 years on experience.

Sorry, didn't mean to start a turf war! :-(

Thank you for your help.

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...



As she's not old, she may well just be havign a short break form
laying - they can do that sometimes. Contrary birds ;-)

That has never been my experience in 30 years of keeping chickens. If a
previously reliable hen stops laying suddenly, something is wrong.
Unless they decide to go broody, of course.
Hens in full lay do not stop laying "for a short break" unless there is
a problem of some kind.
Tina



I've experienced it with one of mine. She was well. My hens are examined
*daily*, as is their poo (!) and if I suspect anything untoward it's off
to the vet for a check-up.
I don't agree that a hen that lays well will suddenly stop "for a break"
for no reason.
If that happens, there is something wrong with her.
You have ex-batts, and I have some myself and they continue to lay for
England.


Sorry, Christina, but if you think I'm not looking after my hens, and can't
spot if there's something wrong with them. by all means call in the RSPCA to
inspect or have a vet of your choice come & inspect them.



I don't wish this unkindly, but you got your first chickens and tell other
people what to do now. I think I have 30 years on experience.

Tins


Sigh... Tina, put your neck back in. I have my experience of the birds I
have - you have the experience of yours. I repreat - you think I'm not
looking after my hens and can't spot if something is wrong with them -
please feel free to have the RSPCA/vet of your choice come & inspect them.
I'd positively welcome it.

May I take it from your reaction to my henkeeping, you'll have removed my
name from your telephone list of people who offered to look after your
animals in case of your demise? I obviously don't meet your criteria.

wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:
I don't agree that a hen that lays well will suddenly stop "for a break"
for
no reason.
If that happens, there is something wrong with her.

We did think maybe she'd started laying again, as we were getting brown
eggs
of the right size but in slightly different shades, but I think in
hindsight
it may have just been from the day the boys fed Bluebell a whole hill of
dandelions.

You have ex-batts, and I have some myself and they continue to lay for
England.

All laying figures are "in the first year". What kind of rate do they go
down to after they are a year old? And how old do they tend to get to
before going off altogether? (or going off to a better place!)

I don't wish this unkindly, but you got your first chickens and tell
other
people what to do now. I think I have 30 years on experience.

Sorry, didn't mean to start a turf war! :-(

Thank you for your help.

Well, there wasn't a turf war as far as I knew...