# girls on strike



## bonbean01 (Sep 5, 2012)

My Rhode Island Reds have been producing eggs very well the past month (now 6-7 months old) and for the past three days...none...they are on strike I tells ya!!!

Read awhile back to put black pepper in their food to get them to lay again...anyone try this and get good results?


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 5, 2012)

Yes I have used cayanne with great results. Usually gets POL pullets to start laying. I bake it in some cornbread and give it to them daily for a few days. Make sure they have a ton of water though because they will drink it like crazy! I'd say about a tablespoon for 6-8 hens daily for a few days. There was a long thread on BYC about it. I dont do it on really hot days though.


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## Stacykins (Sep 5, 2012)

Are there feathers everywhere? I know this unusually cool weather has caused my girls to explode, they're molting. Chickens stop laying when they molt, it takes a lot of energy to regrow new feathers, and it gives them a nice break from the grind of egg laying.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

If your daylight is getting shorter, that will change their laying habits as well.  We have our timer going already to make sure that they have 12 hours of light.  Hens are very picky little creatures.  

I hope they get off the picket line and back to work soon!


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## marlowmanor (Sep 6, 2012)

I did the black pepper this spring and it seemed to work. A month or so ago I sprinkled a good amount of cayenne pepper flakes in their food when a lot of my teenage pullets looked like they were ready to lay but not laying. It seemed to work. I'd definitely be suspicious that they may be starting to molt too.  Though at the age they are I don't know that they will molt right now. I think they don't molt till they are over a year old. I'm just waiting on my adults to start molting some of them look a little rough from previous roosters.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 6, 2012)

I couldn't imagine them molting at 7 months old after only a month of laying. Egg eaters are something to be cautious of. Also snakes, birds or squirrels stealing eggs. I'd try the cayanne and if you dont get eggs in a few days I'd start looking for other things that could be happening to those eggs. 

How many chickens are we talking about?


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## bonbean01 (Sep 6, 2012)

No molting yet...heat index today was 98 and still have over 12 hours of sunlight...talking only 6 hens...no change in feed or routine...did the pepper thing today and no eggs, but will keep that up for a few days and hope they start back laying....they were producing like crazy before...some every day...lovely large brown eggs.

They go up into their night time cage area to the back where the nest boxes are and did their laying there...after a snake epsiode this spring their area is super secure, so no predators that I can imagine.

They are on strike!!!! Not sure how many days of the hot stuff before they lay, but miss those lovely eggs.  We have a cold front coming in this weekend and will be back to more normal temps...that may help?


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Sep 6, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> No molting yet...heat index today was 98 and still have over 12 hours of sunlight...talking only 6 hens...no change in feed or routine...did the pepper thing today and no eggs, but will keep that up for a few days and hope they start back laying....they were producing like crazy before...some every day...lovely large brown eggs.
> 
> They go up into their night time cage area to the back where the nest boxes are and did their laying there...after a snake epsiode this spring their area is super secure, so no predators that I can imagine.
> 
> They are on strike!!!! Not sure how many days of the hot stuff before they lay, but miss those lovely eggs.  We have a cold front coming in this weekend and will be back to more normal temps...that may help?


I'd be saying that the heat index of being 98 may be the reason... 

How cold? I'd imagine if its 80 or colder they;d start laying again.


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## bonbean01 (Sep 6, 2012)

Yes...looking forward to low 80's....also, our barometric pressure has been going up and down lately and not sure if that would affect them?  They did lay when we were in the mid 90's...hope to get eggs again soon.

Besides the RIR, we also have five bantams that are totally free range and they have continued to lay during the other girl's shut down.


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## Queen Mum (Sep 6, 2012)

Mine aren't laying either.  It's been in the 100's.  I think it is the heat.   But I am checking for squirrel invasion as well.


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## terrilhb (Sep 6, 2012)

I was begining to think it was only my chickens not laying.  But I am seeing more and more posts about this. I have about 40 hens and am lucky if I get 8 a day. Some days none.  Something in the atmosphere.


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## Queen Mum (Sep 6, 2012)

Click, clack, cluck, cluck.  They all met at the hen house and we will be getting text messages pretty soon demanding more chicken scratch and softer nest boxes.  What I want to know is who gave the hens a cell phone?   Come on, fess up!


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## terrilhb (Sep 6, 2012)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Click, clack, cluck, cluck.  They all met at the hen house and we will be getting text messages pretty soon demanding more chicken scratch and softer nest boxes.  What I want to know is who gave the hens a cell phone?   Come on, fess up!


 Me too. Good one.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 7, 2012)

Sometimes you have to have a good old fashion intervention.  Maybe put a stock pot in the hen house.  That should send a message!


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## bonbean01 (Sep 7, 2012)

cell phones and a stock pot intervention????  you all are too funny and thanks for the morning laughs


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 7, 2012)

I'm getting eggs like no other!! Had a POL pullet start yesterday. One of my olive eggers!! And I took in a couple old retired non-layers early in the week. Upped calcium and protein because someone layed a really thin shelled from the roost. Got a HUGE speckled egg from the barred rock today! I knew her comb was too red to be a non layer.  :bun No cayenne used either.

Barred Rock, Olive egger  .
(Still have some work to do with getting the barred rock caught up on calcium.)


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## marlowmanor (Sep 7, 2012)

Ok, now I want some olive eggers! Barred rocks too, I've been thinking about a couple BR anyway to add some color diversity to the flock, now seeing the eggs makes me want them more. And that olive egg . I get green eggs from my EEs but they are pale green (and one is pale blue), I'd love to see an olive egg like that in my egg basket! Not adding any more chickens right now though. :/ Not till we have a better customer base for eggs and more space.


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