help!!!!!!!!!!!! my chickens are not laying!!!!!!!!!!!

[battle drone]

the coop is clean. and I have a chicken that is as lite as a feather. : (

 

[Sgtfirstwife]

Have they been exposed to anything stressful lately? How long have you had them? Do they have a coop? What are you feeding them? Without more information we won't be able to help.

 

[rosewolf22002]

If they are molting they won't lay until they are finished. Most take about a month. You really should read in the raising chicken section. It will tell you all about it. What about the others? What is different about them. Btw I don't know anything about leg color meaning they should lay.

 

[battle drone]

I read chicken magazines.

 

[battle drone]

the others are OK. but 1 has bumble foot. and I think 1 has scale mite.

 

[speckledhen]

Okay, then two have health issues, though I've never known bumblefoot to keep a chicken from laying.

They are probably molting. While growing back feathers, their bodies need all their reserves for that, so they cease or slow down laying. And most birds don't lay as much after two years old as they did in their first year of life.

 

[karlamaria]

No eggs while molting, and if your chickens have mites etc fix the problem, bumble foot fix the problem, and when your chickens are up to standards again then you will get eggs. Tell mom to help you get these girls back in shape and not worry about eggs but there health. Healthy chickens lay good eggs, sick chickens and molting chickens do not.

 

[SmilingCinder]

It's not uncommon for Hens to stop laying, and many different reasons. Moulting, Broody, weather, coop conditions, feed, water etc... so make sure you have a nice safe area for your hens to lay in, a small box or area where they feel nothing can get at them, make sure they are getting the right amount of food, not too much or too little, always have clean water and coop area. I had to put false eggs in my nesting boxes to encourage them to lay. Try all of that, and see what happens, but know that the older the hen, the fewer eggs....and don't forget about the calcium for nice strong egg shells. Hope that helps!!

 

[battle drone]

but my chickens always lay while molting. I would show you a picture if i new how.

 

[speckledhen]

Your chickens are only two years old now. They have only had their first big molt so you cannot say they "always" lay while molting. As they age, they do slow down. They are not machines. If you and your mom expected an egg each day from every hen for their entire lives, you'd be better off buying eggs from the grocery store. They are living creatures.

I have several hens who are 5 1/2 years old now and they lay 3-4 eggs each week right now, but they took half of the last year off because of their age. As they get older, they take longer breaks, even if their lives and health are perfect.

Some hatchery hens even suffer from reproductive infections after two years of age, usually die from them, too. A couple of yours may be starting up with that and if that is the case, you won't be getting eggs from those again, most likely.


Your mom may benefit from reading this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/423023/why-arent-my-chickens-laying-here-are-your-answers