First post...looks like a great site here! We got our first backyard chickens this spring and I have reall enjoyed them. They free range and we only lost 2, one to a hawk early on and one to the cold (we think). We have a Black Copper Maran rooster and hen, and 5 blue plymouth rock hens, although the rocks are really white, black and grey...??? Anyways...to the questions, first the hens don't seem at all interested in Layena, either in pellets or crumbles. They only eat the cracked corn and scratch grains I throw out. I have stopped even offering the Layena for now because it seems to go to waste. Egg production has fallen from 2-4 a day to 1-2 a day. I assume this is due to winter. Since they free range, and often leave food on the ground to scratch in the woods, I assume they are getting plenty of nutrition as they move about? We're in NC and maybe there are enough bugs out in the woods under the leaves? Also, I just built a incubator, since I hope to hatch some eggs should I be more concerned with their diet, and that they are making healthy eggs? Lastly, the Copper Maran hen was the first to lay, and laid almost every day thru the summer, but she just quit laying one day and hasn't laid since. Is that normal, and I assume if so it's seasonal? Sorry for so many questons!
Thanks for the info guys! As for the cold, we had a week of lows in the low teens and maybe a day or two it got below 10 I think. The hen that died seemed like she was sedated, moved slow and blinked real slow, etc. She was the outcast of the flock, not sure why, and maybe the cold plus always being picked on were too much for her? In hindsight I wish I had brought her in the house to warm up then seperated her for a while. As for the feed I will get them off of the corn and scratch grain. I guess I will use up the last of it and mix it in the Layena, hopefully they will start eating the Layena. Thanks again!