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...
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...