Arizona Chickens

[5pinkarrows]

Quote:
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.

I was wondering about this, too. I have a friend that has 4 hens (2 Auracanas, 2 Barred Rocks). They are 7 or 8 months old, and none have laid a single egg yet. Could it be because they are stressed? They have a Great Pyrenees puppy that chases them a little.

BTW, NoSkiveez, I am a Christian mom of 5 great kids, too! Mine are all girls, though.
Ginger

 

[5pinkarrows]

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I have a slight egg shortage, but for a different reason. I only have 2 old enough to lay (a silkie and a mix). But, if we aren't there while the mix's eggs are still warm, the silkie will eat it! I have no idea how to stop her from doing this. The lady we got her from said she only laid 2 eggs a week, but we get at least 4. I wonder if the hens at her old home used to eat her eggs, and now she has the habit? Any ideas? I asked one lady and she told me to just eat my silkie. I can't do it. I really like her, even if she is an egg eater.

 

[rufus]

Quote:
Red chili powder.

Rufus

 

[5pinkarrows]

Quote:
Red chili powder.

Rufus

Huh? Really? What do you do with it? Put it in their food? Or do you add it to your chicken quesadilla?
~Ginger

 

[NoSkiveez]

Quote:
Red chili powder.

Rufus

Huh? Really? What do you do with it? Put it in their food? Or do you add it to your chicken quesadilla?
~Ginger

Yes, and how much? A little? Make em breathe fire?

 

[cluckin_crazy]

I have a significant number of molters myself... i havent actually written it out to see it so...


barred rock - laying
orpington - laying, but slowing down
Black Ameraucana - only 5 months old
EE - adopted her in time to lay 4 eggs, then she started molting
buckeye - molting
BA - finished molting, won't start back up... ??
SLW - molting and UUUGGGLLLYYYY - she looks like a naked neck and looks worse than anyone
leghorn - 6 months old, never laid yet but started molting a couple weeks ago


Man that sucks!!! I can only count on one egg a day - two is a VERY lucky day and I too had to BUY eggs this week. Embarassing. Unfortunately, no one on CL lives anywhere near me, or would not respond so I had to actually buy them at the store

I have heard about the chili powder, and tried it last year but I'm not convinced that it made a difference. I'm trying cat food presently. Has anyone tried calf manna? that's next for me.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I googled Calf Manna and I found this information on the walmart link. It's for all kind of animals, even poultry. Who'd have thunk?


http://www.walmart.com/ip/Calf-Mann...r-Farm-Animal-Feed-25-lb/10323583#Ingredients


I am going to pick some up the next time I am grocery shopping.

Angie

 

[a2ms4chickens]

Quote:
I've seen it at the WalMart I go to, but silly me, I thought it was for calves.

Angie

 

[65browneyes]

Just wanted to say that the Verde Valley Hens are layin' worth a hoot, either. Here and I have folks waiting in line for eggs, too. An exceptional day might garner 7 eggs from 30 (ish) hens. I have a couple gals who are 7 or even 8 years old now, but most of the flock is under 2, the greater majority are last year's hatch with a handful from this year.

Had a RIR roo who started ruling with a heavy spur. Freezer camp for him.......got a young, studly Ameracauna roo..... The girls were so excited about him, they decided to molt..........

Hmmm........I told 'em they would ALL go to freezer camp if they didn't get with the program.................to no avail. Okay, not really, cuz I'd have to get a phsychiatrist and they cost a bit more than a bag of lay crumble.

***Sigh*** guess I'll just wait some more. Bums me out to think I might actually have to buy eggs for the first time in years just to do my holiday baking.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I think it must have something to do with the extreme heat/weather combined with the shorter days soon to follow - my chickens didn't lay well in the extremely hot days and then the change must have done something to promote a big molt. Last year, I never had a shortage of eggs - the hens layed fine and when they did molt in the winter, they didn't molt all at the same time and I never really noticed much drop in egg production. I also lost a couple hens to the heat this year and didn't lose any the year before.

Even my 8 1/2 month old Blue Andalusian is molting - last year, my hens were all at least 15 months old before starting to molt.

I have 19 pullets and hens ages 7 months - 2 years old. Out of these 19, I'm getting 1-2 eggs per day. I am getting a egg every other day or so from my 2 year old Barred Rocks and occasionally a blue/green egg from one of the easter eggers. The 8 1/2 month old Ameraucanas are not giving me anything and the rest seem to be molting.

4 hens; 2 years old - 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Black Star (1 barred rock and the Easter Egger finished molting last month, BS seems to be starting - again)
2 hens; 18 months - 2 Ameraucanas (both molting - 1 of them went broody 4 times this year)
4 hens; 13 months - 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 more Barred Rock (buff orpington is molting - the two Easter Eggers just finished)
7 pullets; 8 1/2 months old - 1 Blue Andalusian, 6 Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers (only 2 started to lay - of the two, the Blue Andalusian is molting and the Easter Egger that started to lay went broody - she just finished being broody and hasn't resumed laying)
2 pullets; 6 1/2 months - 2 Frizzles (not laying yet)

It seems the majority are experiencing a big egg drop these last 2-3 months. Pastry Mama is using supplemental light and still getting lots of eggs - are the rest of you that are getting a lot of eggs also using a light in the coop? I've thought about using a light, since they took so much time from laying off this past summer, but don't want to use one when they're molting.