egg laying and feed

[junior67]

ok. to start....... I have 7 girls that are 1 yr 8 mo and 8 that are 8 mo old. 1 of the 8 mo olds didn't start laying before the shorter days. Well all but 1 stopped laying at some point from Oct-Dec. One took about a mo off from mid Nov to mid Dec and then started up again (8 mo old), another took 10 days off and started up again (all this mo. she is one of the older ones).

I figured all normal given the shorter days. Well I know 2 people in my area that most of their chickens are still laying just about all the time. Both have said that they feed scraps from their kitchen etc. and that is why. Could this be the reason? I will give mine left over beef or chicken here and there but only a couple times a month and also give them other treats 1-2 times a week (veggies, meal worms, fruit whatever) but not a ton. One said she keeps all her scraps and left overs and feeds them to them 2x a week (but sounds like more than I give my flock at one time) the other does it just about every day.

so my question is........ Are mine not laying, even the younger ones, as often because of food or because of the shorter days? Did I just get unlucky or maybe some breeds but some we have the same and mine have stopped? I don't mind them taking a break because they need it but don't want them taking it because they aren't getting what they need. I feed all flock since I have 2 roosters and give oyster shells on the side...

 

[triciayoung]

ok. to start....... I have 7 girls that are 1 yr 8 mo and 8 that are 8 mo old. 1 of the 8 mo olds didn't start laying before the shorter days. Well all but 1 stopped laying at some point from Oct-Dec. One took about a mo off from mid Nov to mid Dec and then started up again (8 mo old), another took 10 days off and started up again (all this mo. she is one of the older ones).

I figured all normal given the shorter days. Well I know 2 people in my area that most of their chickens are still laying just about all the time. Both have said that they feed scraps from their kitchen etc. and that is why. Could this be the reason? I will give mine left over beef or chicken here and there but only a couple times a month and also give them other treats 1-2 times a week (veggies, meal worms, fruit whatever) but not a ton. One said she keeps all her scraps and left overs and feeds them to them 2x a week (but sounds like more than I give my flock at one time) the other does it just about every day.

so my question is........ Are mine not laying, even the younger ones, as often because of food or because of the shorter days? Did I just get unlucky or maybe some breeds but some we have the same and mine have stopped? I don't mind them taking a break because they need it but don't want them taking it because they aren't getting what they need. I feed all flock since I have 2 roosters and give oyster shells on the side...

Is there a difference between you and the other 2 people in the area specific to supplemental light?

 

[jreardon1918]

Hey neighbor. We have two hens that are almost 3 years. They stopped laying mid November. We also have 6 pullets that are about 9 months old. They all started laying at 22-24 weeks. One is still laying every other day. The rest are also withholding. We started our supplemental lighting program 12/1. every day the lights come on a little earlier. We are hopeful the "longer" days will soon have them all laying soon.

That is my long way of saying it is likely the shorter days.

 

[junior67]

Is there a difference between you and the other 2 people in the area specific to supplemental light?

They both said they don't supplement light. And I don't.

 

[junior67]

Hey neighbor. We have two hens that are almost 3 years. They stopped laying mid November. We also have 6 pullets that are about 9 months old. They all started laying at 22-24 weeks. One is still laying every other day. The rest are also withholding. We started our supplemental lighting program 12/1. every day the lights come on a little earlier. We are hopeful the "longer" days will soon have them all laying soon.

That is my long way of saying it is likely the shorter days.

Ok. That was what I figured then these 2 had me questioning it. A couple of mine look like they are starting to pinken up again so thinking they may start back up in Jan.

 

[aart]

Could this be the reason?

Probably not...are their birds the sames ages and breeds as yours?

 

[junior67]

Probably not...are their birds the sames ages and breeds as yours?

I believe one of them theirs are around 7-9 mo so about the same age, I know she said her first year with them. The other I am not completely sure, think he has different ages.

I wasn't worried about mine till I heard of others still laying a ton of eggs so started to worry I was doing something wrong. If I am not then I am good.

 

[saysfaa]

Most likely is genetic differences. Even within the same breed, some lay weeks later into shorter days than others. Mine have such differences even though they are the same breed from the same hatchery, hatched the same day, and have always been in the same environment.

Even if none of you supplement light, the amount or timing of the light could have an affect. Different style of coop, face a different direction, shaded by trees or buildings, more or less snow cover, more or less cloud cover, maybe even where the roost is compared to the windows, or when the pop door opens. Any one thing might be a small difference - or bigger than one might think - and they are cumulative. In any case, if a chicken is near the tipping point of enough light for her to lay, it could make the difference.

Feeding better than a commercial feed can make a difference in how many eggs a hen lays in a year but it is much too small of a difference to see in a few small flocks. Not that I am assuming adding kitchen scraps makes a better feed, but even if it did...

 

[junior67]

Most likely is genetic differences. Even within the same breed, some lay weeks later into shorter days than others. Mine have such differences even though they are the same breed from the same hatchery, hatched the same day, and have always been in the same environment.

Even if none of you supplement light, the amount or timing of the light could have an affect. Different style of coop, face a different direction, shaded by trees or buildings, more or less snow cover, more or less cloud cover, maybe even where the roost is compared to the windows, or when the pop door opens. Any one thing might be a small difference - or bigger than one might think - and they are cumulative. In any case, if a chicken is near the tipping point of enough light for her to lay, it could make the difference.

Feeding better than a commercial feed can make a difference in how many eggs a hen lays in a year but it is much too small of a difference to see in a few small flocks. Not that I am assuming adding kitchen scraps makes a better feed, but even if it did...

Thanks. As long as I am doing things right I am good.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree, egg laying is much more genetic, and a genetic response to the light. I really don't think feed has much to do with it, unless of course, you were starving them, or seriously deficient in some area of vitamins.

I do feed mine all the scraps from the kitchen, along with proper feed, and it seems to have no effect in the short term.

Mrs K