Friendthechicken
Songster
Hi everyone!
Long time reader, first time poster here. Thank you to all at BYC for the forum and insights. We have three laying hens who are entering their first spring as real layers…supposedly! I got them as fall pullets/young hens and don’t know the breed. In March, between the three of them we had about 18-20 eggs with one dominant layer (I think). We are in the PNW so the light was just returning. I had no artificial light in the coop. And then! I disrupted their flow. Three weeks ago, we kicked them out into a brand new homemade coop and then four days later, I moved our dog-crate indoor brooder and seven 5-week old chicks into the coop. They haven’t laid since. I’m looking for suggestions to get the older ladies back on track! Is three weeks a normal pause? Our daylight hours are getting long!
I have been able to maintain consistency more or less in the older gals food while integrating the young chicks. Their nest boxes are new and different, but they are similar in size. They are about 18” off the ground as is the first roost bar that everyone (older gals) seems to be able to get on comfortably. I have attached a pic of the nest boxes. The first few nights I had the chick brooder sort of directly under the nesting boxes, but I have since moved it thinking maybe that’s what was deterring the older gals. The water thing is not normally where it is in the photo aka not in the way. As you can see they are clean and nice and NOT nested in.
Any suggestions to get my older gals back to nesting and laying? Should I build them a ramp? Add a curtain?
PS: Integration is going great btw because I know you’re curious!
Thank you!!
Long time reader, first time poster here. Thank you to all at BYC for the forum and insights. We have three laying hens who are entering their first spring as real layers…supposedly! I got them as fall pullets/young hens and don’t know the breed. In March, between the three of them we had about 18-20 eggs with one dominant layer (I think). We are in the PNW so the light was just returning. I had no artificial light in the coop. And then! I disrupted their flow. Three weeks ago, we kicked them out into a brand new homemade coop and then four days later, I moved our dog-crate indoor brooder and seven 5-week old chicks into the coop. They haven’t laid since. I’m looking for suggestions to get the older ladies back on track! Is three weeks a normal pause? Our daylight hours are getting long!
I have been able to maintain consistency more or less in the older gals food while integrating the young chicks. Their nest boxes are new and different, but they are similar in size. They are about 18” off the ground as is the first roost bar that everyone (older gals) seems to be able to get on comfortably. I have attached a pic of the nest boxes. The first few nights I had the chick brooder sort of directly under the nesting boxes, but I have since moved it thinking maybe that’s what was deterring the older gals. The water thing is not normally where it is in the photo aka not in the way. As you can see they are clean and nice and NOT nested in.
Any suggestions to get my older gals back to nesting and laying? Should I build them a ramp? Add a curtain? PS: Integration is going great btw because I know you’re curious!
Thank you!!
it should only get better from here.
