Am I doing something wrong?

[hen house girl]

I know that many people ask the same question over and over. But I'm feeling upset and wondering if there is something that I'm doing or not doing?
I started my chicken love 8 months ago when I bought 5 hens, three of them being black jersey giants, approximately now 2 Years old. I know the people they came from and know that they were laying everyday. I brought them home and they laid for about 4 days and quit. I figured stress may have caused this due to the change and move, but it's been 8 months and I'm lucky to get an egg a week from all three. The other hens contiued to lay with no problems. The three hens that haven't been laying have also been the only hens affected by lice and mites. All have been treated months ago. All are given 16% layi g pellets with daily veggies and fresh water they have an 8by4 coop with access to free range, along with oyster shells and grit. What is wrong with these three free loaders? Any answers? I just find it strange why only these three have the egg laying problems and seem to pick up external parasites?

 

[Bullitt]

I know that many people ask the same question over and over. But I'm feeling upset and wondering if there is something that I'm doing or not doing?
I started my chicken love 8 months ago when I bought 5 hens, three of them being black jersey giants, approximately now 2 Years old. I know the people they came from and know that they were laying everyday. I brought them home and they laid for about 4 days and quit. I figured stress may have caused this due to the change and move, but it's been 8 months and I'm lucky to get an egg a week from all three. The other hens contiued to lay with no problems. The three hens that haven't been laying have also been the only hens affected by lice and mites. All have been treated months ago. All are given 16% layi g pellets with daily veggies and fresh water they have an 8by4 coop with access to free range, along with oyster shells and grit. What is wrong with these three free loaders? Any answers? I just find it strange why only these three have the egg laying problems and seem to pick up external parasites?

What breed are the other two hens?

Are you sure the Jersey Giants are about 2 years old?

 

[hen house girl]

Yes they should be no more than 2 years old, the other two are EE hens.

 

[Bullitt]

Yes they should be no more than 2 years old, the other two are EE hens.

You wrote, "I know the people they came from and know that they were laying everyday."

Jersey Giants will lay 4 or maybe 5 eggs a week average in a year.

But it seems their average has fallen way off in the last 8 months. I am not sure what is going on with your Jersey Giants. I would suggest getting a few young pullets if you want more eggs. Maybe White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, or a sex-link hybrid if your main goal is getting eggs.

It is possible that your Jersey Giants have an illness that caused them to slow down on their egg-laying.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hopefully someone will post an image of what the face and comb of a well laying black Jersey Giant hen should look like. Even with the possibility that your hens are going through, or have gone through a molt, one egg a week from 3 hens during some of the fattest months for egg production (May through August) is a little disconcerting.

Is there ANY possibility that your hens could have stolen their nest away in some secluded or secret spot and then lay on the sly?
Is there ANY possibility that your hens could be eating their own eggs?
Is there ANY possibility that some egg sucking predator could be beating you to your own eggs? Egg sucking predators include but they are not limited to; dogs, skunks, opossums, rats, snakes, foxes, crows, coons etc.

 

[hen house girl]

There doesn't seem to be any evidence of egg eating, and we haven't had any predator problems, when they do lay its always in the same spot, and that's well protected.

 

[hen house girl]

Here's a pic of one the JG back at the end of August, had lice.