martnmagik 68 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 hi all, im new to keeping chickens and wondered if anyone could give me a reason for why my hens have stopped laying......i got 4 ex battery hens around 4 weeks ago and after a couple of days were laying 1-2 eggs each per day but i have not had a single egg for 6 days now and was wondering why they have stopped. atb mart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chimp 299 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 hi all, im new to keeping chickens and wondered if anyone could give me a reason for why my hens have stopped laying......i got 4 ex battery hens around 4 weeks ago and after a couple of days were laying 1-2 eggs each per day but i have not had a single egg for 6 days now and was wondering why they have stopped. atb mart i doubt they would lay 2 each per day as the cycle i believe (correct me if im wrong) is something like 25hours. i have 7 hens and only getting 2 - 3 a day at the moment , probably has something to do with the weather. i presume they are on layer pellets or mash? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martnmagik 68 Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 hi all, im new to keeping chickens and wondered if anyone could give me a reason for why my hens have stopped laying......i got 4 ex battery hens around 4 weeks ago and after a couple of days were laying 1-2 eggs each per day but i have not had a single egg for 6 days now and was wondering why they have stopped. atb mart i doubt they would lay 2 each per day as the cycle i believe (correct me if im wrong) is something like 25hours. i have 7 hens and only getting 2 - 3 a day at the moment , probably has something to do with the weather. i presume they are on layer pellets or mash? as said im new to chickens, and i assumed it was 1-2 per day but i only check every other day. they are given layers pellets and also get veg peelings and what ever else they peck on in the garden.how would the weather affect them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
salclalin 240 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 To Cold,To Hot,To Wet.They could be in the Moult.All these are Factors in The Hens Laying Cycle.I'm in the Same Boat My Hens have slowed Down and My Ducks are even Worse as they are About to Moult.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SEAN3513 7 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Moulting would be the favourite Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Plank 8 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 i doubt they would lay 2 each per day as the cycle i believe (correct me if im wrong) is something like 25hours. Under ideal conditions commercial hens can make eggs more quickly than other chickens, about twenty three and a half hours. So it is indeed possible that they can lay twice a day, but not twice every day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,174 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Check that they're not laying soft shelled eggs, which they normally eat up very quickly, maybe only leaving a bit of rubbery egg shell behind. Ex battery hens are often very low in calcium due to having been forced to lay so many eggs under artificial conditions for the first year of their lives. Make sure to add plenty of oyster shell to their feed: contains lots of calcium. Pouring milk over their layers pellets also helps. I don't feed pellets dry either, moisten with water or milk: and always make sure that there's plenty of fresh drinking water available. Other causes, apart from those already mentioned, of going off lay could be rats, mice, disturbance of any kind: marauding cats, foxes, dogs. Mites: northern fowl mite and red mite: suck their blood and deplete reserves. Treat chickens and hen house including perches, nest boxes and every single nook and cranny with either a mite spray or with diatomaceous earth: brilliant stuff, cheap and non toxic. Smother the hens with them as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martnmagik 68 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Check that they're not laying soft shelled eggs, which they normally eat up very quickly, maybe only leaving a bit of rubbery egg shell behind. Ex battery hens are often very low in calcium due to having been forced to lay so many eggs under artificial conditions for the first year of their lives. Make sure to add plenty of oyster shell to their feed: contains lots of calcium. Pouring milk over their layers pellets also helps. I don't feed pellets dry either, moisten with water or milk: and always make sure that there's plenty of fresh drinking water available. Other causes, apart from those already mentioned, of going off lay could be rats, mice, disturbance of any kind: marauding cats, foxes, dogs. Mites: northern fowl mite and red mite: suck their blood and deplete reserves. Treat chickens and hen house including perches, nest boxes and every single nook and cranny with either a mite spray or with diatomaceous earth: brilliant stuff, cheap and non toxic. Smother the hens with them as well. they have already had the D E treatment and the previous eggs wasnt soft,there are no disturbances that have been noted,so im now seing that the weather could be a cause as is THE MOULT, how do i know if this is happening? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,174 Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 They will be losing feathers! Chickens should moult steadily and slowly, healthy birds don't lose condition whilst doing so, but unhealthy birds do, and also can't moult properly if their bodies are depleted in any way. Try adding a pinch of kelp seaweed powder per bird in their feed every day: lots of minerals etc in there. Also, if you have only had the birds a month, their bodies will still be acclimatising to the new routine and food. Try and give them as much fresh young grass as possible. Spinach leaves are also very good: I grow a plot just for the dogs and chickens. Feed raw. The only things which are bad for chickens, as far as I know, are celery and onions. I have 4 ex layers: one has only ever laid soft shelled eggs, but I can't tell which one it is as they are all now in great condition! I get 3 eggs every day from them so I'm not complaining as they only cost me £1 per bird. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martnmagik 68 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 They will be losing feathers! Chickens should moult steadily and slowly, healthy birds don't lose condition whilst doing so, but unhealthy birds do, and also can't moult properly if their bodies are depleted in any way. Try adding a pinch of kelp seaweed powder per bird in their feed every day: lots of minerals etc in there. Also, if you have only had the birds a month, their bodies will still be acclimatising to the new routine and food. Try and give them as much fresh young grass as possible. Spinach leaves are also very good: I grow a plot just for the dogs and chickens. Feed raw. The only things which are bad for chickens, as far as I know, are celery and onions. I have 4 ex layers: one has only ever laid soft shelled eggs, but I can't tell which one it is as they are all now in great condition! I get 3 eggs every day from them so I'm not complaining as they only cost me £1 per bird. lol i had kind of figured that they would shed feathers but they was doing this(with what few they had) and assumed it was due to there poor state when i got them so thought id ask if there was any more sighns.they have free run of my garden during the day so grass etc isnt in short supply and they love ants and earwigs when the kids move rocks etc.it was just the sudden stop in egg production that alarmed me as i couldnt understand why it was all of them and not just one or two that stopped Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,174 Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Ah! If they were in rubbish condition when you got them it could take a couple of months or more before they start laying properly again: need energy to grow feathers etc. I feed mine Vitalin as well: the dog food. They love it, just moisten and leave to soak for an hour or so. Chicken food is much lower in protein than dog food, but animal protein is very good for hens in need of a boost. Mine love any sort of meat, worms: try digging the garden and watch them stand by your feet waiting for you to turn up worms. Hard boiled eggs (sorry I forgot, you don't have any ), grated cheese, minced meat: even give them the carcase if you have had roast chicken :laugh: Chickens are totally cannibalistic anyway: actually, dog food is much cheaper than any of the above, so go with the vitalin, though you could also use a well soaked complete food as a boost. Hope this helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martnmagik 68 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Ah! If they were in rubbish condition when you got them it could take a couple of months or more before they start laying properly again: need energy to grow feathers etc. I feed mine Vitalin as well: the dog food. They love it, just moisten and leave to soak for an hour or so. Chicken food is much lower in protein than dog food, but animal protein is very good for hens in need of a boost. Mine love any sort of meat, worms: try digging the garden and watch them stand by your feet waiting for you to turn up worms. Hard boiled eggs (sorry I forgot, you don't have any ), grated cheese, minced meat: even give them the carcase if you have had roast chicken :laugh: Chickens are totally cannibalistic anyway: actually, dog food is much cheaper than any of the above, so go with the vitalin, though you could also use a well soaked complete food as a boost. Hope this helps. bargain........i feed vitalin as well as raw to my dogs so no extra cost Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,174 Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Just found out that Vitalin have gone bust: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martnmagik 68 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Just found out that Vitalin have gone bust: i was told the same but was also told it wasnt completly and it was there other other lines of animal feed that was going to stop being produced so il guess we have to wait and see Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Becks666 0 Posted October 7, 2011 Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 I have been advised that I should not give my Chooks anything Dairy?! BUT, I have been given so much advice by different people, I think that I'll just do what I think works - trial and error. Some people say cook veg scraps, others say give them raw. Some say give oyster shell, but I bake my shells from used eggs, then crush them into a fine powder to add to their food as a grit. Some people say not to use straw, some say it's the best bedding. IT'S ALL TRIAL AND ERROR! I am lucky that I have a very clever partner, son and his friend, who have all made me a very large coop and converted half of the shed into an adjoining henhouse with nesting box etc. I have not used Diatom, as it is quite cold now, so would imagine that the redmite will have died off for the winter. I will treat in the spring. If anybody wants some further advice, I suggest that you go to the "Down the Lane" forum on Facebook, as there are loads of people who have vast experiance of chook keeping etc and are a very friendly bunch - no question is a silly question! Good luck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.