Buff Orpingtons Hens not Laying

[mo122]

Yes they do. Day and night. At times I let them free range only to eat grass and weeds and bugs. Any thoughts?

 

[K0k0shka]

Chickens molt even in warm climates, even in tropical areas. That's because they need to replace old and worn out feathers. Everything that has fur or feathers needs to replace them periodically, it just differs how they do it. Some mammals have a hard "molt" (shedding) once or twice a year, while others shed a little bit at a time all year round. Some have winter coats and summer coats, others don't, but every individual hair or feather has a limited lifespan and has to be replaced sooner or later. Even the hair on your head replaces itself fully every few years, it's just that it does it one hair at a time so you don't notice. Chickens may lose a feather or two here and there throughout the year, but they go through an official proper molt in the fall to dump and replace all of them, regardless of what else happens throughout the year. And how they do it varies by breed or individual. Some dump it all at once. Others take several months and do it gradually, so you may not notice. How much it impacts egg laying also depends on breed and individual. Some stop completely, while others continue but at a reduced rate. It's very rare that egg laying is not impacted at all by molting. That's because it takes a lot of protein to grow new feathers, and it also takes a lot of protein to grow a whole new egg every day. The two are at odds with each other, so egg laying is reduced to redirect more protein towards the feathers. A good, high-protein diet can help with that, though how much it helps exactly, will depend on a lot of things. Regardless of how exactly they molt or how much exactly it impacts their laying, all chickens do it, no matter where they live.

What's more troublesome about your situation isn't the eggs or the feathers, it's that cramped cage you keep them in. Doesn't matter if they also free range some of the time. Whenever they are not sleeping, they need to have adequate room to move about and do chicken business. They need an outdoor run with at least 10 square feet per chicken. I don't see that happening in your pictures.

 

[mo122]

Chickens molt even in warm climates, even in tropical areas. That's because they need to replace old and worn out feathers. Everything that has fur or feathers needs to replace them periodically, it just differs how they do it. Some mammals have a hard "molt" (shedding) once or twice a year, while others shed a little bit at a time all year round. Some have winter coats and summer coats, others don't, but every individual hair or feather has a limited lifespan and has to be replaced sooner or later. Even the hair on your head replaces itself fully every few years, it's just that it does it one hair at a time so you don't notice. Chickens may lose a feather or two here and there throughout the year, but they go through an official proper molt in the fall to dump and replace all of them, regardless of what else happens throughout the year. And how they do it varies by breed or individual. Some dump it all at once. Others take several months and do it gradually, so you may not notice. How much it impacts egg laying also depends on breed and individual. Some stop completely, while others continue but at a reduced rate. It's very rare that egg laying is not impacted at all by molting. That's because it takes a lot of protein to grow new feathers, and it also takes a lot of protein to grow a whole new egg every day. The two are at odds with each other, so egg laying is reduced to redirect more protein towards the feathers. A good, high-protein diet can help with that, though how much it helps exactly, will depend on a lot of things. Regardless of how exactly they molt or how much exactly it impacts their laying, all chickens do it, no matter where they live.

What's more troublesome about your situation isn't the eggs or the feathers, it's that cramped cage you keep them in. Doesn't matter if they also free range some of the time. Whenever they are not sleeping, they need to have adequate room to move about and do chicken business. They need an outdoor run with at least 10 square feet per chicken. I don't see that happening in your pictures.

Hello,

Thank you for your reply and the time you put in responding. I think the photos are a bit misleading. The cage that they are in is in fact 7 ft long by 4 ft wide and 4 ft tall. That should be okay though not optimal. Two of the hens do pick on the third one at times but that was always the case ever since they were young. I agree that larger space is much better and will make them happier, but should not be the major factor for them not laying. Moreover, in the industry (not gonna talk about the fairness and humane part of it) the hens are in a very small space alone, and do lay all the time. But what I can do is to let them free range every day and bring them in at night to see if that will help.

Regarding molting, I have not seen them molting. In fact, the younger hens are too young to molt from what I have read (9 months old only). The mother has not laid an egg since June 2021! That seems a bit too long.

If you have any other suggestions or thoughts, it will be appreciated.

Thanks