Stopped for winter, didn't restart in spring. Should I worry?

We have a mixed flock that we started last May. One Americauna, one speckled Sussex, one unknown black, and a barred rock. The speckled Sussex was the first to lay at 7 months old in the fall we got one egg every couple of days for about a month and a half. The black started laying brown eggs in November and continued to lay through the winter. The rock started laying in January. Once the Sussex stopped we have not seen eggs from her or the americauna.

None of them show signs of illness or being egg bound. They eat healthy amounts of scratch, veggie scraps, and layer feed with regular access to oyster shell. We had a mild winter. They are in a large pen so not laying randomly in the yard. We are in town with few predators. We lost a second barred rock to egg bound in March. Should we be worried about them not laying this late in the season, or hold out?

barqhorse85 said:

We have a mixed flock that we started last May. One Americauna, one speckled Sussex, one unknown black, and a barred rock. The speckled Sussex was the first to lay at 7 months old in the fall we got one egg every couple of days for about a month and a half. The black started laying brown eggs in November and continued to lay through the winter. The rock started laying in January. Once the Sussex stopped we have not seen eggs from her or the americauna.

None of them show signs of illness or being egg bound. They eat healthy amounts of scratch, veggie scraps, and layer feed with regular access to oyster shell. We had a mild winter. They are in a large pen so not laying randomly in the yard. We are in town with few predators. We lost a second barred rock to egg bound in March. Should we be worried about them not laying this late in the season, or hold out?

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Healthy amounts?
Usually layer feed is around 16% protein, which is about minimum for egg production...
........feeding other foods will dilute that protein level.
Anything other than the layer feed should be less than 10% in daily volume to the feed.
I'd bump up the protein.
When did you lose the BR to egg binding?

aart has given you good advice.

She passed in mid march. The vet said she had one GIANT egg that was blocking her poo and another smaller egg. She had not layed before as far as we know, so we did not know the signs of her being bound. She just became listless and slow for a few days. We isolated her and fed her separately for few day before taking her to the vet, incase it was communicable. She unfortunately did not recover enough after having the eggs removed.

veggie scraps are like a handful of celery, carrot or peelings every few days, no rotting food or fruit. how do i increase protien when I thought they weren't supposed to have meat. We do give grub treats now and then.

The two that are laying are laying everyday. The black is laying twice. Yolks are good dark yellow and shell color is consistent and hard if prone to shattering when cracked. They taste fine. We have a coop and they do lay in that but sleep under it, silly birds.

barqhorse85 said:

.....how do i increase protien when I thought they weren't supposed to have meat. .....

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They can eat meat....they are omnivores.
After your next bbq(yes, even chicken), throw the bones into their run/yard, they clean them up!!
Seriously...tho if you have dogs that's not a good idea as dogs should not get on cooked bones.
Chicken will eat raw meat too.


But:
I like to feed a flock raiser/grower/finisher 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

Thanks. Actually I caught the Sussex sitting on the others eggs last night. It's possible the random super pale small eggs we get occasionally are from her and not barred rock. Now if only the americauna would join in. But she is more the leader of the flock. I have heard flocks without roosters can have hens develop a more male personality.

We call her Maltese after the Maltese falcon due to her gold head, speed to catch bugs, and very observant mannerisms. She is very bossy even when had a couple roosters. (We culled and ate them last summer due to regulation for our town).