No more!

[Zara]

Hi guys,

I´m currently researching and finding information on how to reduce or stop egg laying.

My untame hen Aldora is a machine, she never stops laying and it can´t be healthy.
I found her on Oct 3 2017 on my doorstep. So she´s been with me a year and 3 months. Age unknown - no ID band. She laid over 30 eggs before 2 hatched aug 2018. then laid again in nov, and they hatched 20 dec.
I did notice the gap between the successful clutch and the next egg. However that is not a solution.
She doesn´t like sitting in our hands, it is a rare experience when she does. She will sit on our head or shoulder but won´t be handled.
I have recently took 2 of her 4 chicks, and when I take the last 2 off her I want to make some changes to reduce the laying.

I found an article with many things to try, they are ;
Diet
Foraging
Feeding Method
Limit Petting
Toys
Cage
Cagemate
Lighting
Sleep
Clip Her Wings

So right off the bat, the food ones will be hard as they all require regular weighing sessions - very difficult with this hen.
Also, we never pet her.
I´m not willing to clip her wings as I don´t want to, I want her to fly, also, I would not be able to, she would have my finger off first! or a good chunk of it at least!

She lives in a breeder cage with a slit to put a divider in, so that will be the first thing done. To pretect Jaime and to avoid more chicks.

I have already taken anything that could be used as nesting materials from her.
I see taking the eggs straight away is a bad idea as she´ll just lay another to replace it.

So maybe I should get a nice bright light for her?
I see covering her at night for longer may help so I think that is a good idea to try.

Is there anything I haven´t mentioned? Do you know a good article?
All suggestions welcome! I just want her to take it easy and enjoy being a bird, flying and playing.
All this egg laying is not helping her become more tame.

Thanks in advance.

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Rainbowings]

I can't find the article I was looking at but I have heard the suggestion of replacing real eggs with dummy/fake eggs to keep a female from laying more & removing any nook or flat solid surface she may try to nest on/in. You can buy the dummy eggs online so know. Interested in any other suggestions too as I am hoping separating my bonded pair can be saved for a last resort

 

[ashbirdlady]

What were the food suggestions? You can offer things higher in calcium and other vitamins and minerals to help support her overall health....

 

[SunUp]

Separating her from the male is the first step.

When my hen started to lay I simplified her diet. I had been feeding pellets, seed, sprouts, birdie bread, grain bakes, etc. My vet told me I was feeding her much too rich a diet, which contributed to egg laying. So she now gets 50% pellets, 50 % nutriberries, a teaspoon of sprouts, and a handful of organic leafy greens. This is her daily diet, very occasionally she'll get a treat.

I also cut way back on the amount of body touching. She now gets a few brief head scritches daily.

My vet gave her two shots of Lupron to shut off the egg laying, which worked a charm.

With all this combined, she hasn't laid in many years.

 

[Zara]

I am hoping separating my bonded pair can be saved for a last resort

I have my bonded pair in a breeder cage so I can insert a divider to split them up, it is bars so they can still preen through it as I put a perch for them both closer together, maybe that would help you.
I have seen those eggs but do they actually work? I know that last year Aldora would lay and sit on them, then start laying again when they didn´t hatch so I have a feeling that won´t be a solid fix.

What were the food suggestions? You can offer things higher in calcium and other vitamins and minerals to help support her overall health....

Not to leave food avail. at all times. So there would be times when no food. The article said when the food is plentiful the hen will take that as security and breed. I´m not sure how I feel about that. Less fat in diet too.

Separating her from the male is the first step.

When my hen started to lay I simplified her diet. I had been feeding pellets, seed, sprouts, birdie bread, grain bakes, etc. My vet told me I was feeding her much too rich a diet, which contributed to egg laying. So she now gets 50% pellets, 50 % nutriberries, a teaspoon of sprouts, and a handful of organic leafy greens. This is her daily diet, very occasionally she'll get a treat.

I also cut way back on the amount of body touching. She now gets a few brief head scritches daily.

My vet gave her two shots of Lupron to shut off the egg laying, which worked a charm.

With all this combined, she hasn't laid in many years.

Yes, they will have their divider inserted when these chicks are taken.
What are nutriberries? I have read them mentioned a few times in this forum. So maybe I need to alter her diet.
I don´t touch the hen, shes not tame. The egg laying is not helping.
Maybe that injection is a good solution for @Rainbowings but maybe in the future I´ll let them breed again. But after a good break.


Thanks everyone, Ill check out the eggs and revisit her diet.

 

[ashbirdlady]

Not to leave food avail. at all times. So there would be times when no food. The article said when the food is plentiful the hen will take that as security and breed. I´m not sure how I feel about that. Less fat in diet too.



.

One thing that can encourage laying is an abundance of fresh food. I think the easiest thing to try first is limit the fresh food. Just offer the pellets and seeds. Then offer bits of her favorite fruit and veg. Sparingly of course