Barred Rock Chickens

[chickabator]

could someone tell me how good barred rock chickens are about laying eggs? I am having a very rough time with mine. They stared laying about 2 months ago and boy did they lay out of 16 pullets we were getting 15 eggs a day majority of the time and then on other days we would get 12 or 14 it depended if one layed a double yolker the day before, well anyway mid May we had a cold spell and they slowed down, well they have never picked back up on their laying, some have feathers missing on their backs next to their tail feathers and my dh found one hen pecking the feathers out yesterday so he seperated her. We thought it was our rooster that had made the feathers come out so we took him out last week, well my chickens still are not laying. I don't understand what is going on with them, they are 33 weeks old shouldn't they be laying better than that. They have plenty of food(layer pellets) plenty of fresh water but still no eggs Can someone explain this? I might be able to get a picture of their backs They also have been dusted for mites and lice

 

[farm_mom]

Sounds like a molt to me. When birds go through a molt they lose their feathers and quit laying. Try upping their protein (some people give their birds cat food) to help with the feather picking and feather regrowth. When they're done molting your birds will start laying again.

 

[speckledhen]

They are probably molting as was stated before. My Barred Rocks are some of my best layers and always have been. My older two are going on three years old and they each lay 5-6 eggs per week consistently.

 

[lovethechickens]

It could very well be chicken lice too. Grab one, flip it over and look for them. That would be my guess.

 

[speckledhen]

True, always look for pests first and rule those out. I have some molting birds right now myself, though.

 

[chickabator]

but should they be moulting this early they just stared laying about 2 months ago well when they were 24 weeks old they won't be a year old til october 17th these are what I call babies because they are not even a year old yet and that is the only place they have lost any feathers no where else . and there are no feathers in the lot or the hen house. They eat them!!! We have added black oil sunflower seed to them for extra protein and someone told me to give them hamburger but I can't afford that. I give them scraps of veggies and plenty of greens(grass, mustard, lettuce, cabbage) they even get leftover hamburgers when I fix them. I might try the cat food dry or canned?