8 or 9 month old chickens questions

[junebuggena]

Do you only have a coop? No outdoor run? Could be a lack of daylight causing their slow development.

Your Birds are over 18 weeks so the layer will not harm them...Best to have waited but not a 911....Start them on a grower now till your first egg...Cut down on treats and the Roosters could be stressing out the hens and that is why they have not laid eggs yet...

Cheers!

Actually, feeding layer to a flock with roosters and non laying birds is a problem. Granted they aren't going to keel over dead immediately, but the damage to the organs still happens. Just because a bird is over 18 weeks old, does not mean that it will be laying soon.

 

[chickens really]

Quote: Yes, Cut out the scratch....Treats at 5% of daily ration....Meaning a tablespoon per bird per day.........Yes, switch feed...Are you sure your birds are that age? They look younger.....Anyways..Stress does play a lot in egg laying as does nutrition....

Best of luck!

Cheers!

 

[crazyh717]

Do you only have a coop? No outdoor run? Could be a lack of daylight causing their slow development. 
Actually, feeding layer to a flock with roosters and non laying birds is a problem. Granted they aren't going to keel over dead immediately, but the damage to the organs still happens. Just because a bird is over 18 weeks old, does not mean that it will be laying soon. 

All we have is the coop, but light comes in on all sides but the back and try top, because as my husband says its what they used when he raised them when he was with his ex wife.
I do want to make a run for them, I i was to make a run for them that goes down at a slant, out of chicken wire, for about 15 ft long by the length of the coop would that be ok?
Or I have another question would I be able to make a run but leave the top open?

 

[crazyh717]

Yes, Cut out the scratch....Treats at 5% of daily ration....Meaning a tablespoon per bird per day.........Yes, switch feed...Are you sure your birds are that age? They look younger.....Anyways..Stress does play a lot in egg laying as does nutrition....

Best of luck!

Cheers!

Yes they are that age we got them the last two weeks of February. Alright so until I can get new feed, what Gould I feed them for now, I'll get some extra money this weekend. We literally just bought two bags of feed yesterday, the layer and scratch.

 

[junebuggena]

All we have is the coop, but light comes in on all sides but the back and try top, because as my husband says its what they used when he raised them when he was with his ex wife.
I do want to make a run for them, I i was to make a run for them that goes down at a slant, out of chicken wire, for about 15 ft long by the length of the coop would that be ok?
Or I have another question would I be able to make a run but leave the top open?

Chicken reproduction is directly tied to the amount of daylight they are exposed to. Keeping them in an enclosed structure without lights will stall development. Runs don't have to be fancy or covered, as long as the coop where they sleep is secure. A few t-posts and welded wire will suffice.

 

[chickens really]

Quote: Continue with the layer till you can buy the grower...They will not die....No scratch and once you have the grower mix it at 25% till you have them fully on the grower so you do not upset the stomach....

You will be fine...Best of luck...

Cheers!

 

[junebuggena]

Continue with the layer till you can buy the grower...They will not die....No scratch and once you have the grower mix it at 25% till you have them fully on the grower so you do not upset the stomach....

You will be fine...Best of luck...

Cheers!

You don't have to gradually change feed. They can go straight to grower with no problems. Besides, most feed companies change their ingredients batch to batch. Even if you purchase the same feed every time, you can have a different combination of ingredients each time.

 

[crazyh717]

Hi there!
One of the first things to do that may help with when you might expect eggs is to identify the breeds you have - as you are not sure, it would be helpful if you would take photos of the birds and post them here so we can identify them for you.  In addition to determining breed, the photos will allow us to see your birds and get a good idea of how they look in regards to nearness of egg-production.
One thing that you are already working to address that can contribute to egg production issues is that the imbalance of gender ratios in your flock *may* be causing stress on your hens.  Are the roosters currently actively mating the hens?  If so, are you seeing any signs of over-mating (photos will also help us look for this)? 
It sounds like your birds are confined 24/7, is that accurate?  If so, can you share with us a bit about the coop and run - dimensions, etc?  Is water available to the birds at all times?  Dehydration is an often overlooked cause of production problems and can occur much more quickly that some folks realize so that even a period of time during the day  without water can have a negative effect on some birds. 
You mention feeding daily - how much are you feeding?  Are you free feeding with a full feeder that is kept topped off with layer ration at all times and then tossing out scratch occasionally, tossing out a mix of layer ration and scratch periodically throughout the day, mixing scratch directly into a feeder of layer ration or?    The answers here will be even more important if your flock is kept confined at all times as that eliminates their ability to seek nutrition outside of what is being offered through your feed program.

Could you help me figure out what true breeds are by chance?

 

[junebuggena]

Both Black Sexlinks

Probably an Easter Egger.

Easter Egger
AmberLink
White Rock or White Orpington. Can't tell if the legs are yellow and just washed out from the photo.
Buff Orpington
I think I got them all,

 

[crazyh717]

Holy cow,got em all, and yes the legs are yellow onThe white one. Now I can look up more info on the laying and growth of them