| Author | Content |
Ruth
Tabor, SD (Zone 4b)
December 4, 2011 11:45 AM Post #8916048
| My hens have not been laying for the last month or so. I have laying mash and corn in the feeder and a heat lamp for warmth and light in the coop. They moulted about a three weeks to a month ago and still no eggs. There are about 20 hens of assorted breeds and about 7 roosters which I am about to thin out. Can anyone give me any ideas of why they aren't laying?? I have had chickens for 30 years and have never gone without eggs for this long.
Thanks
Ruth |
CajuninKy
Biggs, KY (Zone 6a)
December 4, 2011 11:52 AM Post #8916059
| That does not seem long enough to molt and feather back up. I'd think molting was the culprit. |
green04735
Bridgewater, ME
December 4, 2011 1:27 PM Post #8916141
| Me to,I read that the old times would mix corn meal,buttermilk and cyanne pepper and feed it to them and they would start laying agian,got to get the pepper tomorow and will give it to them.Worth a try,I have 25 and one egg one day and two the next. |
Ruth
Tabor, SD (Zone 4b)
December 4, 2011 2:23 PM Post #8916203
| I'll have to try that too. I just need the buttermilk. Any certain amounts?
(Hubby will think I'm making him supper!!) |
Eufaula
Eatonton, GA (Zone 8b)
December 4, 2011 2:29 PM Post #8916209
| Sounds like a great mixture Green!! A wonderful friend of mine really believes in adding about a cup of soaked Alfalfa cubes too!
|
ZZsBabiez
Lodi, CA (Zone 9b)
December 4, 2011 3:47 PM Post #8916278
| Mine are doing the same thing.. I think their molt was late, and when they came out of it, there weren't enough daylight hours to kick em back in gear. I doubt it's feed related.. Their cycle goes according to how many daylight hours there are... |
green04735
Bridgewater, ME
December 4, 2011 4:25 PM Post #8916311
| Idon`t know if there was amounts or not,I did turn on the timer so they will be getting more light now,there molt is about done I hope. |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
December 4, 2011 5:52 PM Post #8916428
| Mine are just finishing a major molt too and have not been laying well for weeks. I think they are now starting to improve their production; most of mine lay quite well even in winter. |
Ruth
Tabor, SD (Zone 4b)
December 5, 2011 6:16 AM Post #8917005
| I guess I have never gone without eggs for this long before. They must have taken turns molting and now the are all going through it together. What a bunch of clucks! ;) |
DonnaB
Vancleave, MS (Zone 8b)
December 5, 2011 7:48 AM Post #8917093
| many of mine are just starting to molt and very few eggs for all the hens I have. I hope it is only a light one or they may freeze since we are getting pretty cold on and off. I have 75 watt heat bulbs in their coops for winter |
greenhouse_gal
Southern NJ
United States (Zone 7a)
December 6, 2011 3:58 PM Post #8919146
| We found that adding sunflower seeds to their scratch mix, or just giving them a couple of handsful in the afternoon, seemed to help ours lay more. It is hard at this time of year because they definitely slack off, though. |
tamberlin
Framingham, MA (Zone 6a)
December 7, 2011 8:02 AM Post #8919930
| Our girls are mostly finished with molting (except the couple of odd balls) and only the two bantams are laying consistently. I'm not giving supplemental light or anything. I'm hoping they take some time off since my husband is now refusing to eat eggs! |
ZZsBabiez
Lodi, CA (Zone 9b)
January 2, 2012 1:00 PM Post #8951648
| Actually, it is so good for the birds to take a rest and have a good molt... Mine are just starting to look like hens again with beautiful new feathers and colors even! I hope they all start laying soon, but I guess I'll have to wait till the season.. I tried BOS and it didn't make any difference in their laying.. I have heard others that has success from feeding them, but not during a molt.. that's just natures way of givin em a vacation. :) |
ZZsBabiez
Lodi, CA (Zone 9b)
January 2, 2012 1:01 PM Post #8951650
| I wanted to add... This is the first time I've ever gone without eggs this long too.. So I can sure relate to the frustration! |
greenhouse_gal
Southern NJ
United States (Zone 7a)
January 2, 2012 2:19 PM Post #8951755
| Ours went through a fallow period after a possum got our geese and a hawk got a hen, but now they're laying a lot again. I have no idea why but I'm not complaining. |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
January 2, 2012 3:11 PM Post #8951845
| My girls went through an unusually lengthy molt this year and now look like new hens! Egg production has never ceased entirely but is still pretty meager. My friends to whom I usually give lots of eggs keep inquiring into the health of my chickens - not hinting, of course. |
tamberlin
Framingham, MA (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2012 4:16 PM Post #8951936
| It looks like the egg drought may be over. Our only black copper maran laid an egg today. I'd noticed that her wattles were starting to redden up again. A couple of the other girls have been running and sitting in nest boxes now and then too, so maybe we'll have some more before too long. |
Eufaula
Eatonton, GA (Zone 8b)
January 3, 2012 5:13 AM Post #8952479
| I think our weather has a lot to do with the production. We have been having very unseasonally warm temps here and my chickies as well as the fruit trees are so confused. this past week my buff O's starting laying after a loooooong "no egg" period. My only BCM Hen was also showing redder waddles, so I hoped she too would lay. But last night we went from a weeklong high 60's to 70's temps to a very cold 20 degrees with a wind chill of 7. So now I guess the girls will go back to roosting instead of laying! Oh My! |
tamberlin
Framingham, MA (Zone 6a)
January 3, 2012 5:54 AM Post #8952518
| We are due for a cold blast after it's done with you folks down south. Ah winter! It's finally here... |
green04735
Bridgewater, ME
January 3, 2012 6:02 AM Post #8952523
| Some of mine have started but not all,my silkies are laying up a storm so that keeps us in eggs,but my customers are wondering,I lost two customers one his grandson got chickens so he gets them for free and the other moved away,hope I can get some new cutomers when they all start laying I miss the money to buy the feed.I only get one one day and four the next,but none yesterday.I wonder if I need to put my three roosters somewhere else Ihave twenty pullets and hens and they are breeding jup a storm cause they are teenagers.The girl can get away from them up on the roosts.If I put the roosters togather in a seperate coop right next to the big one and a seperate run would they fight if they can`t get at the hens?The roosters are about about 6 to 8 months old |
titaniumRX8
Mint Hill, NC (Zone 7b)
January 6, 2012 6:31 PM Post #8957419
| green- I just (this week) put my boys into a chicken tractor because the girls were becoming barebacked (even with aprons on). I put the roosters that got along the best all together in it and only left 2 boys in with 12 girls. Everybody seems to be doing just fine. The tractor is near the larger coop so they can see the others. The only problem I am having is getting 2 of them to get up inside the enclosure to keep warm - it was down in the teens and 20's for a few nights this week. |
CajuninKy
Biggs, KY (Zone 6a)
January 6, 2012 7:53 PM Post #8957546
| I have 2 EE roos with my 12 hens and the hens are losing feathers on their backs so I think I will put my LARGE wire dog crate in the coop with the hens and put the two roos in there.
I am getting 2 or 3 eggs a day now. Even my bantam hen layed an egg yesterday First one in many months. |
