8 Hens, 3-5 Eggs Per Day

[Da Hof]

Hi All,

First post here and looking for some input/thoughts. About 4 months ago, I bought 8 laying hens from a 'sketchy' guy who had a barn full of them in various cages. All living too tight together imo and laying eggs on the ground.

I let the farmer pick the chickens as I wanted young chickens that were laying or would start to lay soon. I did get one Rooster "King Richard" who is a fantastic bird.

I suspect that either the hens that I have are older and no longer laying or they are somehow sick. Here's some points.

• 8 hens, 3-5 eggs per day.
• Shells are very soft
• Put 30 eggs in an incubator and not one grew. Given King Richard's attention, I've got to believe they were fertilized.
• Egg whites run like water in all eggs.
• Egg yokes often break when the egg is cracked in the pan.
• Very runny dark droppings for some.
• I've got several small yokeless (Rooster) eggs.
• Some shells are so soft, when I try to pick them up they just fall apart. It's amazing she was able to lay them at all.
• They have a brand new coop that is plenty big for all of them.

I use Purina Layena but have tried a bag or two that my local mill produces. I give them oyster shells in with their food. I put apple cider vinegar (1/4 - 1/2 cup per 4 gallons of water). I've tried a couple different blends and add in black oiled sunflower seeds (just started and they don't seem to care for them). I've even tried giving the Rye fodder that I sprout. Nothing seems to change with the eggs or the production. They look health enough, they all eat and run around just fine.

Is there anything that you can recommend? My plan is to mark the hens that are laying and get rid of the ones that are not. Or, should I get rid of the entire flock and start over? I would keep King Richard, he's cool.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave Hofer

 

[Percheron chick]

Sounds like he picked out the older hens and gave you those.
Try a couple things before giving up on them
First deworm them. Tons of threads to get it done. Put your feeding program to the side and start over. I would try a bag of all flock feed. I want 20-22% protein. Put the oyster shell in a dish on the side. Add all your crushed egg shells from the kitchen. ACV is good. Give it 2 weeks.
3-5 eggs from 8 mature hens is not bad but the shell issues must be resolved. I would pick up 3 replacement pullets now and start growing them out. You won't see eggs until the holidays but you'll get a good jump on next year.

 

[aart]

Yea to the all flock.
Nay to the ACV, as it can inhibit calcium absorption.