| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Darcy |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 6:16:58 PM
Can any of you chicken ladies help me here? I am soooo frustrated.
Here is my problem:
I have 9 chickens, 1 is broody so is not laying. I am averaging 3 eggs per day. Now these girls are 1 year old in 1 week. They have been laying 5-6-7 per day. Then about 1 1/2 months ago they almost stopped, some days 1 egg, some days 4 or more but that is rare. Average is 3/day. Then...I go on vacation for a month and my son is taking good care of the animals. Egg production goes up to 5-6 per day. I get back from my trip and back down to 3 or 2 per day.
Someone told me that Joan Crawford (the broody, nasty one) is stopping the rest from getting into the nesting boxes so I put dividers between them-no change. Someone else told me that fruit will slow egg production-so I stopped the fruit (which was minimal anyway)-no change.
They have oyster shell available free feed. They have grit free feed. I use an organic layer crumble which they eat free feed. Plenty of fresh water available. They have 3 grain organic scratch, with a small amt of organic corn added. I give them greens daily for a treat, either weeds/comfrey/chard/parsley/tomatoe etc. They are in a 15x6 foot pen with a small but nice coop. They are not fighting or picking on each other. They are healthy as far as I can tell.
Can someone tell me what I am doing or not doing wrong. This is getting very frustrating! And I do not know what to do.
Many thanks
Chicklettes and Peeplettes. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Darcy |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 11:52:52 PM
Many thanks to all of you for your advice. There is a common thread from y'all and that is light. The chicklettes are not molting at this time but that will change soon I know. The ladies are healthy, eating and drinking well, their combs are vivid red. I think I need to relax and let nature take it's course. I have not decided whether I want to add light at this time. I did not know it shortened their overall production life. Something to think about.
Again, many thanks to all for coming to my aid. I am grateful.
quote:
Originally posted by Ms.Lilly
Darcy- Your problem is the days are getting shorter. Changing the way they eat will not change that. Also could they be moulting? I know that mine are. You would be finding alot more feathers on the ground and your girls will be starting to get "bald" spots. When they moult their egg production will go way down and alot of times stop completely. I have been told that chickens won't go through their first moult until they are 18 months old or so, but I have never had a hen wait that long for her first moult. In fact I have some that are 13 months old that are going through this. As far as the days getting shorter yes this affects them. Their bodies are saving energy for the cold months to come and so they stop producing eggs. You can change this by adding a light on a timer in their coup. They need 14 hours of light a day to produce eggs. Do remember by doing this it will shorten their overall procduction life. If you want to keep your egg yolks bright orange during the winter you can suppliment feed your girls alfalfa, they love it and they still are getting their greens. We love it because they eat all of the leaves off of it and the stems help keep the mud down. By the way I have 36 hens, 4 roosters, 50 cockerals (for the freezer) and 1 pullet that I hape to intragate with the bigger ones soon. I am down to 10-14 eggs a day that is down from 24-29 a day this summer. Hope this info helps.
Lillian
Chicklettes and Peeplettes. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 08:39:19 AM
I don't feed laying mash to mine. They are free range. I have Buff Orpingtons. And they laid all winter too. I was really impressed with them. They have been laying really good all summer up til a few weeks ago. I have noticed several of them have pale combs. I had some want to go broody. Had to stop that. That's when production went down. But now I am getting 8 eggs a day. I just feed mine 3-way scratch in the morning and evening. Scraps go in the cold frame now along with all the goat manure for them to make compost for me.
They also love goat milk and kefir and clabbered milk. They get that every day also. I put apple cider vinegar in their water. Just about a 1/2 cup per gallon. All the other animals get it too. I never have wormed them. Just the ACV.
I have 17 hens that are 1 1/2 and 6 hens that are going on about 5-6 months. So they should be laying soon. I have nest boxes all over the place here. They have their favorites. And they stand in line waiting. Even if there are 2 right next to each other. Silly birds. And they are mighty proud of those eggs too! They will sing the egg laying song. I love that song.
I also wanted to say a few years ago I had Barred Rocks. They quit laying all at once. So I sold them to a friend. About a week later they all started laying agian. That happened a few times after I sold some. I think they just wanted a change!
I hope you can get them back up to laying. Also notice their combs. If they are pale they are not laying. If bright red, they are. I have about half mine each way. SO I know which ones are laying. I have heard to give them hot peppers to make them lay.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| sherrye |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 06:45:40 AM
goodmorning, yes my chickens love alfalfa. the high protein helps the demand for it in hens. we have 75 hens right now. i will increase the amount in spring. the broody hens are in houses by themselves so they can hatch me more hens. i feed no scratch. i sell enough eggs to pay for their feed and for extras. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 06:43:02 AM
Darcy- Your problem is the days are getting shorter. Changing the way they eat will not change that. Also could they be moulting? I know that mine are. You would be finding alot more feathers on the ground and your girls will be starting to get "bald" spots. When they moult their egg production will go way down and alot of times stop completely. I have been told that chickens won't go through their first moult until they are 18 months old or so, but I have never had a hen wait that long for her first moult. In fact I have some that are 13 months old that are going through this. As far as the days getting shorter yes this affects them. Their bodies are saving energy for the cold months to come and so they stop producing eggs. You can change this by adding a light on a timer in their coup. They need 14 hours of light a day to produce eggs. Do remember by doing this it will shorten their overall procduction life. If you want to keep your egg yolks bright orange during the winter you can suppliment feed your girls alfalfa, they love it and they still are getting their greens. We love it because they eat all of the leaves off of it and the stems help keep the mud down. By the way I have 36 hens, 4 roosters, 50 cockerals (for the freezer) and 1 pullet that I hape to intragate with the bigger ones soon. I am down to 10-14 eggs a day that is down from 24-29 a day this summer. Hope this info helps.
Lillian |
| star-schipp |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 05:09:51 AM
Whenever our girls go through a period of decreased laying, I program the lights in the coop to stay on longer and production usually increases. Our chickens production did decrease for a few days when we got our new goats but I think they were just upset over the change. We have 40 hens - 1/2 are 2 years old and 1/2 are 1 and are getting between 24 to 30 eggs daily. I only have one hen that is broody - thank goodness - cause she bites when you try to get eggs out from underneath her. Try increasing the amount of light they are exposed to and I bet your production goes back up.
We can do no great things; only small things with great love - Mother Teresa
farmgirl sister #1927 |
| Darcy |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 11:15:41 PM
Thank you for your reply Melina. I know the weather while I was gone was mostly sunny and warm but it was during the initial poor output also. I keep thinking it is something I am doing wrong. ??
quote:
Originally posted by Melina
You also need to take into consideration your weather. Low pressure fronts will cause a drop in production when it comes through. Opposite with sunny days. A couple of days after a few sunny days in a row will produce more eggs.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi
Chicklettes and Peeplettes. |
| Darcy |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 11:10:44 PM
Sherrye, thank you for your reply. So here are the changes I will try-No scratch until late afternoon. I do use 16% layer and that is free feed 24/7. I will continue their treats but only in the afternoon.
Do you have corn in their scratch? Is that something I need to eliminate? Do your ladies get fruit?
When do you let them molt if you are using a light now?
Why did the laying behavior change as soon as I left and then change back when I got back? I asked my son what he was doing that was maybe different from what I have been doing. The only difference I could figure out is that he was more diligent about getting the dirt covering out of their grit more than once per day.
Do they eat the alfalfa hay? Do yours have free range? (We have too many predators in my neighborhood to let them loose).
Just wanting to do the right thing by my chicklettes! And they are such fun.
Chicklettes and Peeplettes. |
| Darcy |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 11:06:00 PM
Sherrye, thank you for your reply. So here are the changes I will try-No scratch until late afternoon. I do use 16% layer and that is free feed 24/7. I will continue their treats but only in the afternoon.
Do you have corn in their scratch? Is that something I need to eliminate? Do your ladies get fruit?
When do you let them molt if you are using a light now?
Why did the laying behavior change as soon as I left and then change back when I got back? I asked my son what he was doing that was maybe different from what I have been doing. The only difference I could figure out is that he was more diligent about getting the dirt covering out of their grit more than once per day.
Do they eat the alfalfa hay? Do yours have free range? (We have too many predators in my neighborhood to let them loose).
Just wanting to do the right thing by my chicklettes! And they are such fun. |
| sherrye |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 9:36:37 PM
hi darcy, maybe i have an idea. how far north are you? your days are getting shorter. chickens need 16 hours daylight to keep laying. i use regular energy saving light bulbs. 60 watt in coop. its on a timer to come on in am around 4. also if they get too many goodies they will not eat their layer. fresh tastes better. you need 16 percent protein in the chicken each day. it is required for a 16 percent egg to be made. if they do not get enough light they will go into a molt. they then make feathers not eggs all winter. i use lights. if you are up north in wash. then you need lights now. hope it helps. i give my girls treats in late afternoon. they eat layer in am. no corn or scratch here. garden trim in afternoon and alfalfa hay. they love it. they also get cow milk in eve. only layer out all the time. barring grit and oyster which we free feed also. happy days sherrye. chickens are a fine thing. good for you to have a nice coop and yard for them. welcome to farm girl. you will just love it here. farm girl sisters rock happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| Melina |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 6:37:04 PM
You also need to take into consideration your weather. Low pressure fronts will cause a drop in production when it comes through. Opposite with sunny days. A couple of days after a few sunny days in a row will produce more eggs.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
