Why aren't my chickens laying?

[i_am2bz]

Two seems so young to already drop off production.

I'm glad you asked this question, SD, b/c I'm having the exact same problem...2 of my 3 hens stopped laying about 2 months ago, & they are all just shy of 2 years old. (I know who's laying, because one went lame & I've been keeping her in a crate or tractor; she's laying about every other day.)

I'm about ready to free-range the free-loaders lol, despite the circling hawks...

 

[Denim Deb]

I think a lot of it has to do w/the breed and/or individual chicken. Henrietta is my oldest chicken. She's crippled and never really laid that well until last year. This year, she's doing even better. She's at least 3 or 4 and I'm normally getting 5 or 6 eggs a week from her.

 

[savingdogs]

Well my 2-year-old RIR chickens are laying decent. I have three more BOs than RIRs and I always have more RIR eggs. That is part of what got me thinking about it.

I like having different chicken breeds, it makes it easier to figure out who is laying and who isn't. It is pretty clear my 1-year-old EEs are my fantastic layers right now and my one new BO pullet and my RIR/BO cross because her eggs are a special color. I have two russian orloffs and they are supposed to be poor layers but I'm getting one every other day from the two of them. But very few BO eggs beyond the one pullet.

I think the idea of free ranging them is valid. Those particular chickens are particularly tied to the coop.

 

[Wannabefree]

BB it takes about 23-28 hours for an egg to form shell and all.

I give them cayenne pepper when they slow down and it does seem to always help. Some folks say it isn't working, but IME it does. I also boost their calcium by mixing crushed eggshell into their rations.

Maybe they are hiding them. Do they range?

 

[savingdogs]

Yes, but they always lay in the morning and I don't let them out till they are done.

 

[Wannabefree]

Yes, but they always lay in the morning and I don't let them out till they are done.

I used to do that too, big mistake. They know where the nest boxes are. I let mine range now, and have yet to get an egg outside the coop. I never see them go in, but I see the evidence I am getting 9 from 10 hens right now. They need the range to get enough nutrition to produce well. I'd say let them out for a couple weeks and see how they do. If their diet is lacking something, they'll help themselves to whatever will balance it. Ya just have to give them the opportunity

 

[big brown horse]

I thought they molted right before winter in the late fall. (That is when mine molt at least...right before it gets cold=naked chickens!)


Some of mine also lay eggs late, around 2-3:00 sometimes.

I would check them for mites/lice and look for stock piled eggs outside of your coop.

 

[patandchickens]

For whatever it's worth, I have three Red Star (commercial sexlink) hens that will turn 3 in a coupla weeks. They have nearly quit laying. The Easter Eggers in the same pen with them are laying just fine.

(OTOH the sexlinks laid very well thru their first winter without additional lighting, and have had overall much higher production than the EEs did, so their lifetime-to-date egg totals are probably still higher than the EEs')

It remains to be seen, I guess, but I am suspecting they may be just kind of 'done'. That is really what they are bred for, after all; mine are considerably past their commercial chicken barn "expiration date". I get probably an egg every 7-10 days from each of them, if that. Despite trying cayenne, extra protein, and oystershell fines added to their feeder. <shrug>

They're my older son's hens really, bought as replacements for our original 3 sexlinks (ISA Browns) who all died of internal laying before 18 months. I think I am about done with sexlinks, unless I ever want to get some as layers destined to go into the soup pot at age 2.

Pat

 

[i_am2bz]

For whatever it's worth, I have three Red Star (commercial sexlink) hens that will turn 3 in a coupla weeks. They have nearly quit laying. The Easter Eggers in the same pen with them are laying just fine.

(OTOH the sexlinks laid very well thru their first winter without additional lighting, and have had overall much higher production than the EEs did, so their lifetime-to-date egg totals are probably still higher than the EEs')

It remains to be seen, I guess, but I am suspecting they may be just kind of 'done'. That is really what they are bred for, after all; mine are considerably past their commercial chicken barn "expiration date". I get probably an egg every 7-10 days from each of them, if that. Despite trying cayenne, extra protein, and oystershell fines added to their feeder. <shrug>

They're my older son's hens really, bought as replacements for our original 3 sexlinks (ISA Browns) who all died of internal laying before 18 months. I think I am about done with sexlinks, unless I ever want to get some as layers destined to go into the soup pot at age 2.

Pat

Hmm, this is discouraging...:/ I got sexlinked chicks because I did NOT NOT NOT want roos...but never thought they would quit laying by age two!!! They have been great layers, from 4 months old right thru the winter(s), up until 2 months ago.

How much cayenne do you add? What can be added for protein, if they won't eat cat food or eggs (tried those already)?

 

[patandchickens]

Hmm, this is discouraging...:/

Well remember it is just one datapoint. (Well, two if you count the ISA Browns, but I strongly feel their problems are likely related to having been bought as ready-to-lay pullets in April which means they were hatched in Jan and 'pushed' with lighting. There is a certain sentiment in the chicken-production world that believes this contributes to 'female problems', which would be consistant with their fates)

There are certianly BYCers with sexlinks of various sorts who are still laying decently at 3 or 4, and probably some later.

"Sexlink" is such a catchall category, I would not get too attached to worrying about it, you will just have to see how YOURS perform.

How much cayenne do you add?

Enh, I'm not sure, I just kind of dumped as much over their scrambled eggs as it seemed like I could get on there without ending up with drifts of it leftover at the bottom of the bowl A couple times over the course of a week or so. I have never tried this before but many BYCers swear it works so I thought I'd try it. It still *might* work, of course, just not on these particular chickens

What can be added for protein, if they won't eat cat food or eggs (tried those already)?

They don't eat scrambled eggs????? Wow, I can't help you then, even my chickens that won't eat any other people food will eat scrambled eggs (or even just broken into bowl, microwaved, then roughly ripped into pieces). Chopped up cooked freezerburned meat? Or, next time you boil or roast a chicken, give them the carcass to pick the last bits of meat off? Mine like that. (Some people feel funny about feeding chicken to chicken, on the theoretical basis that there might concievably be some prion disease in poultry that we don't know about, but me, I figure "<shrug>")

(e.t.a. -- sunflower seeds are also a decent source of protein [better than chicken feed anyhow], or cooked dried beans)

Good luck,

Pat