Brahma not laying eggs HELP

[cincyfarmgirl]

16% is not a high protein feed. And if your birds aren't laying eggs they shouldn't be eating layer feed.

If your birds are 3 years old, once they finish molting they don't generally pick back up again laying until the spring. They're taking well deserved break from cranking out all those eggs. It's the natural aging process of a chicken. If you don't want to keep them around because they aren't producing eggs for you you can turn them into stew. I personally let my birds live out there complete lives here whether they're laying eggs for me or not because I enjoy them so much.

No, I would never turn them into stew. They’re part of the family. Enjoy having them even if they’re not laying but perplexing about it because otherwise they look like perfectly healthy not too old birds. I have several chickens that are laying and they share the same feeding trough so I don’t know how I’m supposed to separate the layer feed from the non-layer feed. And presumably 16% not high enough protein anyway? Perhaps I’ll try a higher amount of protein (18%?) but I still don’t know how to separate them for feeding as they are all together. What is the downside to them eating layer feed when they’re not laying? When eventually I would think they will lay again. So what’s wrong with feeding them Layer feed in the meantime?
And by the way, my rooster shows no interest in the Brahmas. So I don’t know if it’s because they haven’t been accessible or he senses they’re not fertile. He’s a very nice rooster that does his duty; he’s nice to the chickens and to people. But he goes for the Americauna and the white Leghorn, which are smaller birds; I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. He is a very large drama. Can’t recall if he was readily fertilizing the Brahmas in the past, but that’s not what I usually see. Is there any association between his lack of interest in them and the fact that they’re not lying?

 

[DobieLover]

No, I would never turn them into stew. They’re part of the family. Enjoy having them even if they’re not laying but perplexing about it because otherwise they look like perfectly healthy not too old birds. I have several chickens that are laying and they share the same feeding trough so I don’t know how I’m supposed to separate the layer feed from the non-layer feed. And presumably 16% not high enough protein anyway? Perhaps I’ll try a higher amount of protein (18%?) but I still don’t know how to separate them for feeding as they are all together. What is the downside to them eating layer feed when they’re not laying? When eventually I would think they will lay again. So what’s wrong with feeding them Layer feed in the meantime?

The oldest birds in my flock are pushing 6.5 years old. I've never once fed layer feed. They get fed chick starter grower and fermented meat bird mash. They get an average of 20% protein in their feed. I keep two containers of oyster shell available to the birds at all times for free choice feeding. That way everybody has exactly what they need for their body and whatever it's doing at all times of the year.

If you force a bird to eat all that excess calcium when their bodies cannot utilize it then their kidneys are forced to remove it and it causes additional strain on them.

It's very rare for a hen to lay through the winter. Pullets will lay through the winter and the hens will either completely stop or back down dramatically until the days get longer. I let nature take its course and do not force them to lay eggs by putting artificial light in the coop.

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

The oldest birds in my flock are pushing 6.5 years old. I've never once fed layer feed. They get fed chick starter grower and fermented meat bird mash. They get an average of 20% protein in their feed. I keep two containers of oyster shell available to the birds at all times for free choice feeding. That way everybody has exactly what they need for their body and whatever it's doing at all times of the year.

If you force a bird to eat all that excess calcium when their bodies cannot utilize it then their kidneys are forced to remove it and it causes additional strain on them.

It's very rare for a hen to lay through the winter. Pullets will lay through the winter and the hens will either completely stop or back down dramatically until the days get longer. I let nature take its course and do not force them to lay eggs by putting artificial light in the coop.

Indeed, I don’t expect them to Lay as well through the winter, but I have had some very old birds that lay fairly regularly, even in winter. Even when they stop producing I keep them around. They’re part of the family as I said. Tell me what’s in the hash that you mix up for them. Apparently it’s very high in protein and digestible. Frankly, my hens are not very interested in the 16% pride brand protein pellets. And they don’t like crumbles at all. That’s a waste. But they love the chicken scratch, but I understand that it’s not high enough in protein to sustain production.My hens have successfully laid through the winter, not as diligently as in summer though. And I don’t use light or anything else to force them to lay. They have a very natural setting, two huge fenced yards; one of which is covered and they free range almost every day. Sometimes it is inappropriate to let them free range when there is proliferation of coyotes, and I might not be home to keep an eye on things. it seems that some hens that I’ve had in the past were better producers. Even though my Americauna is 6 yrs old, she continues to produce a an egg about every other day, which is fine.. they usually have free access to ground oyster shells. Other times I have fed them their own cleaned and ground up eggshells. Do you think that’s sufficient? The Brahma brown eggs shells were stronger than the white leghorns’ and Americuana’s. The rooster takes particular interest in Americana and a white Leghorn that I have and those two are the best producers right now. As I said, the Brahmas are not the best producers now, although during the time they produced, it was regular and the eggs are great. Especially the shells are strong. Perhaps I need to continue to give them a break and now that the cool weather setting in and winter will be here soon. Perhaps I won’t see anything again until spring. Please send me a recipe for the home hash high in protein. Thank you.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[Nomadicus]

This is still a Zombie thread for the second time now.

 

[Debbie292d]

But they love the chicken scratch, but I understand that it’s not high enough in protein to sustain production.

Our "scratch" is Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve. That's a complete layer feed they think is a treat. I agree with @DobieLover that they shouldn't be getting that either (layer feed) if they're not laying, BUT, if scratch is what they want more than their own feed, fool them with this. At least they'd be getting great nutrition out of that versus the very low nutrition regular scratch has in it.

Every bird we own is on Kalmbach's Flock Maker (20% protein), from newly hatched chicks all the way up to the old hens. The layers get a bowl of oyster shell on the side. So simple and nobody gets too much of anything they shouldn't.