Any Way To "Encourage" Laying?

[loralei]

Hey y'all!

I have 22 24 week old hens that were just starting to lay. They had pox followed by cocci and am delighted that all have recovered. It has been about 2 weeks since the illnesses cleared up but only one has resumed laying. I understand that their bodies have been thru A LOT of stress and also realize that the days are now shorter. I have been providing them with artificial light so they get about 14 combined hours of light (natural & artificial) per day. Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to lay? An old timer that lives near me said to dunk the hens in water and they would start laying. It sounds like an old wives tale to me.

Has anyone else ever heard of this?

Thanks!
Laura

 

[lalaland]

I've never heard of the ducking them in water - stress can cause them to stop laying, so I probably wouldn't try that.

Don't know about them stopping laying because of the illness - can only suggest giving them time. I do have a hen that was the sole survivor of my flock when dogs slaughtered the rest of the flock, and she has never returned to the pre-trauma laying level - she lays an egg about once a week and has done so for a year since the slaughter.

Maybe go back to salting the nestboxes with eggs, and being patient. Lots of protein for those girls, too!