2 of my hens stopped laying . . .

[clacasse88]

They are 7 month old RIWs. They started laying in early March. They have been allowed to free range, but always lay their eggs in the nesting boxes. About 2 weeks ago, they started acting funny -- not their usual selves, sitting around a lot, not coming out to free range (which they LOVE). We think they could have gotten poisoned. We almost didn't think they were going to make it. They really looked sick. Since we noticed something happened, they have just stopped laying eggs. Right before they stopped, there were some soft shelled eggs.

They are cooped up with other younger chickens, which were added to their coop shortly before this. So I'm not sure if adding new chickens in with them have anything to do with them not laying OR whether they hens ate something while free ranging and got sick and made them stop laying. The other possibility is that they are eating the younger chickens feed -- chick starter. With limited coop space, I can't separate them. Both layer feed & chick feed are fed to them. When they come out to free range, I toss some of their layer food and they do eat it.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[Falcon61]

oyster shells?

 

[teach1rusl]

Well...let me say this before I forget it. Unless the younger chickens you mentioned are close to laying age, I would not keep both feeds in the same coop, as layer feed is not good for chicks (the higher calcium/lower protein levels).
But on to what you actually asked about... When you say the chickens began "sitting around a lot," what exactly does that mean?? How did they look? It's not possible that they went broody??? Not nesting behaviors, feathers ruffled up, staying in a bedding area, making sounds when people or animals come near, looking a bit glazed over????
Could you describe in more detail how they look/act???

 

[clacasse88]

I have RIRs that are 9 weeks old and BCM's that are about 8 weeks old. Here's what I've found. I was feeding the hens the layer pellets and the other RIR's & BCMs are eating the crumbles. I've been watching and the chicks haven't been eating the pellets, but the hens have been eating their crumbles. Now that I've noticed that, when the hens come out to forage I've been enticing them with the layer mash (that I went and purchased since they weren't eating the pellets). I do need to figure out how to separate the younger flock so they don't eat the layer feed : (

As for their behavior being totally off -- not running to the gate and "chatting" as usual -- just not peppy at all. Laying around like they didn't feel well at all. No, I wouldn't say broody. Your "looking glazed" was a perfect description.

Their behavior has recovered, but they are still not laying eggs. The last one or two were soft shelled.

Now that I am writing, it seems to me that they are probably not eating enough of their layer feed and I will have to separate them. . .

 

[teach1rusl]

Any changes in your hens since you separated feeds????