Chickens won't lay eggs! Type of feed?????

[21softballstar]

Everyone:

Thank you for the comments. I understand what you are trying to say now. Makes much more sense! Next time I go to Rural King, I'll make sure to get the correct food, and hopefully soon we'll get an egg!

 

[Edenbridget]

I went from the chick starter to the nutrena all flock that rural king carries. I was going to do layer feed, but since one ended up being a roo I'm sticking with all flock and bought a tiny corner dish I put oyster shell in. My RIRs only just started laying, and the Easter eggers (rural king calls them Americanas) still are not. All were purchased in May. The wait is torture!!

 

[21softballstar]

Tell me about the torture! We purchased ours like March 2 from Rural King, hoping that if we purchased them early, they would lay early. Still nothing :/

Ok, I'll look into that type of feed.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Cut out everything except a complete feed with 18+ % protein. After they've been on that a week, start adding light on a timer to get day length to 13+ hours and voila, eggs in a couple weeks.

It is definitely brutal waiting on the first eggs.

 

[MicroMaverick]

NO. It isn't confusing. Chicken feed provides the vitamins, minerals, energy, fat and essential amino acids that chickens are known to need.
There isn't a significant difference in the energy, fat, vitamins and most minerals in any of the feeds.
Aside from that, you only have 2 concerns - protein % and calcium %.
Chickens not laying eggs need about 1% calcium, chickens regularly laying eggs need about 4% calcium. Layer is 4%, all other feeds are 1%.
Young growing birds need higher protein to build their bodies.
Chicken feeds can range from 15% to 22% protein.
As I said before, since your chickens have been starved for essential amino acids, you need to fix that with a higher protein feed like starter/grower or provide some meat and fish scraps.

Thank you for this post! My chickens all hatched June 12 and I figured they weren't laying yet because it's winter and I haven't hooked up lights in the coop yet.
I will alter their food, install the light, and I should be good to go right?

 

[Free Spirit]

Thank you for this post! My chickens all hatched June 12 and I figured they weren't laying yet because it's winter and I haven't hooked up lights in the coop yet.
I will alter their food, install the light, and I should be good to go right?

@MicroMaverick Your pullets are still young. They should be on regular complete feed and no oyster shell until they start laying. Usually around 24-28 weeks give or take depending on the breed. Yours are only around 5 mo. (about 22 weeks) so eggs could be very soon. Once they start laying then you can switch to Layer Feed with oyster shell on the side. The original poster is at 32 weeks and is a bit of a different situation.

 

[QSTARBIRD]

my hens are about 26 weeks, and still havent seen any eggs. they are red sexlinks they been on layer feed since they were 14 weeks i feed them oyster shell, grits, grain scratch . clean water any help?

 

[Bridebeliever]

WOW, Okay,
Layer Feed = A chicken that HAS started laying eggs
Starter Feed = A chick/chicken that HASN'T started laying eggs

 

[Free Spirit]

WOW, Okay,
Layer Feed = A chicken that HAS started laying eggs
Starter Feed = A chick/chicken that HASN'T started laying eggs

X2

- Plus no extra oyster shell until the chicken HAS started laying eggs -

Better yet, here is a link to the BYC Learning Center's page on feeding chickens:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/feeding-chickens-an-introductory-guide

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You never mix oyster shell with feed. If it is a separate container, you can put it out. Birds that don't need it won't eat it.

There are minor differences in fat, energy, vitamins and minerals in most feeds. Protein and calcium are the primary differences to pay attention to.
This discussion started out regarding feed and the OP suggested he wasn't feeding properly.
Once the feed is proper for the birds, the next issue regulating laying is the pineal gland's ability to detect day length. For most animals, longer days signal a time to reproduce and shorter days vice versa.

Birds maturing in Autumn or Winter may be quite delayed in commencement. It is the shortening days vs. lengthening that makes the difference.
To take the mystery out of it, here's a brief rundown of the science.
Light exposure to the retina is first relayed to the nucleus of the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that coordinates biological clock signals. Fibers from there descend to the spinal cord and then project to the superior cervical ganglia, from which neurons ascend back to the pineal gland. The pineal gland translates signals from the nervous system into a hormonal signal.

The gland produces serotonin and subsequently, melatonin. That's the hormone that affects the gonads for sperm production and ovulation in females. An increase in melatonin causes the gonads to become inactive. As photoperiod in relation to day vs. night is the most important clue for animals to determine season. As light lengthens, the gonads are rejuvenated. The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night because of the pineal gland's ability to measure daylength. Besides reproduction, it also affects sleep timing and blood pressure regulation.