Arizona Chickens

[NoSkiveez]

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When you know the answers, please let me know. I collected 2 eggs today. Most of mine should be lay laying already. I'm baffled at the lack of eggs. I have some that Started laying over the summer and decided to take a really long break that started in July.

 

[ChrystalGail]

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When you know the answers, please let me know. I collected 2 eggs today. Most of mine should be lay laying already. I'm baffled at the lack of eggs. I have some that Started laying over the summer and decided to take a really long break that started in July.

That's because I stole all your good layers a few days ago. Lol... I think the freeloading may be an Arizona thing, because I have a bunch, too! Some have been on "break" for at least 2 months. And mine are only a year old. I tried threatening them, but I just got a bunch of blank stares in response. (I don't think they got it)

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

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When you know the answers, please let me know. I collected 2 eggs today. Most of mine should be lay laying already. I'm baffled at the lack of eggs. I have some that Started laying over the summer and decided to take a really long break that started in July.

Mine aren't laying either - 1-2 eggs per day only. I don't remember ever having such poor percentage of eggs to laying hens as I have the last couple months.

Several of mine are molting, but what's really shocking is that my 8 1/2 month old Blue Andalusian is molting. She laid well for about a month - stopped laying for another month and I've just discovered she is molting. I didn't think chickens went into a big molt until they were at least 1 year old. Her Ameraucana flockmates that are the same age are not molting - they still look great, but they're not laying either.

I decided to take advantage of this period of no eggs to deworm them. I gave the adults wazine 8 days ago and will give them ivermectin tomorrow. I figured I might as well deworm them when they're not laying so I don't have to throw away as many eggs (I actually had to purchase eggs this week - first time in 18 months that I've had to buy any eggs). I'm also going to switch them over to gamebird feed for the next couple weeks to help them with their molt (higher protein content and the hens won't miss the calcium from the layer feed, since they're not laying).

 

[a2ms4chickens]

Good morning, everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that my hens aren't laying either. I have about 15 that should be laying, but I am lucky to get 4-5 eggs a day, and this has been going on for over 2 months. And, none of my Buckeye pullets look like they are even interested in starting to lay, and they are 6 mos old.

If anyone can figure out what is going on and how to fix it, please share with the rest of us.

Thanks. Now off to get ready for work. Everyone have a great day!

Angie

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

The apparent widespread lack of eggs is strange. Four of my six birds are either molting (2) or have completed molting (2). The two birds that have not yet molted are laying about every other day. Those two have been laying like that for two months now. Only one bird that completed molting is laying regularly and she hasn't taken a day off in a couple weeks. The other bird completed molting two months ago and hasn't laid an egg since. BTW, how common is it that my chickens would molt at 9-10 months of age? I'm finding all sorts of conflicting info here on BYC. I've been wondering if a lot of my problems were related to my tick infestation, but now that I'm hearing other reports, I'm not so sure. Is it simply the shortening day-length? Did folks experience a slow down last year at this time?

 

[pastrymama]

i am averaging 4-6 eggs a day from 7 April pullets. only one of them has yet to lay ever and she is a dark brahma(not the one that bob fixed, that one is fine now and laying almost daily). these girls started laying in septemberish and dh put a light in the coop and it turns on at 3:30am until 7am. i lock them up at night without light. i wormed them in the summer(not the best time i know, but it was necessary, a long story).

i don't know what is up with this other brahma though. stubborn ones.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Oh, that's interesting pastrymama. Besides the one stubborn girl, your hens are laying well. Maybe it's the added light? What kind of worms did you have last summer? I am vacillating about worming. I wondered if the slow-down in egg production was related to worms, but I don't really see any other symptoms of worm infection (I know that doesn't mean they aren't there).

 

[NoSkiveez]

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I have some Feb and March girls that have still not laid a single egg. A pullet that Dopfnut (sp-Mary Ann) got from me started laying awhile ago but still nothing out of these girls.

I was listening to something on the radio a few months ago about an 11 year exrmtreme heat pattern. It was saying about how each year 1944, 1955, 1966, 1977, 1988, 1999, 2010 that the wolrd has really harsh heat/summers and how it effects everything and how its been happening like this for so long and to cut a long ramble down to size, it was the 11th year. Would explain the 110°+ days. I bet it has something to do with it.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

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I have some Feb and March girls that have still not laid a single egg. A pullet that Dopfnut (sp-Mary Ann) got from me started laying awhile ago but still nothing out of these girls.

I was listening to something on the radio a few months ago about an 11 year exrmtreme heat pattern. It was saying about how each year 1944, 1955, 1966, 1977, 1988, 1999, 2010 that the wolrd has really harsh heat/summers and how it effects everything and how its been happening like this for so long and to cut a long ramble down to size, it was the 11th year. Would explain the 110°+ days. I bet it has something to do with it.

Mine are doing OK. I get 2-4 from 5 1 yr old hens. My Lt Brahma hasn't laid an egg for a week, but she wasn't feeling well for a day or two. She seems to be OK now, just not laying again yet.

It's not just an AZ thing either. I'm on an organic chickens group that is world-wide and they are all complaining about the same thing; No eggs.

Maybe it was the summer heat. I lost one to the heat even though I free-range them and kept portions of the yard wet for them every day. Maybe they stayed a little cooler free-ranging, though so they are still laying OK.

interesting,,,

 

[pastrymama]

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it was my brahmas with the worms, round worms. they were the only two chickens that i did not get as day old chicks, they were 7 weeks old and i noticed significant worms in their droppings around 10 weeks. so i wormed them all first with wazine then 2 weeks later with safeguard paste. did not see another one after that. i have a batch of 4 month old pullets that i got as day olds, but i will most likely worm again everyone before they start laying. these chickens keep getting in to my compost no matter how i secure it and now they are catching and eating MICE!

surprisingly, i did not lose any to the heat this summer. just 2 to my lovely beagle. so i have 14 including one annoying little roo who sleeps in the garage.