Chicken Behavior

[soccrmum]

I have a question: I have a golden sexlink that has been producing since early June. She was giving us nice good size eggs right before July, but now has gone back to her very small size eggs. What can I do to help her produce better bigger size eggs?

Another question: I have a 5 month old black copper maran. She is very interested in the nesting boxes but has not layed yet. I noticed today that she was actually waiting for one of the other girls to lay her egg and now she is sitting on it. What does this mean? I am new to this.

Any other good advise would be greatly appreciated.

Soccrmum

 

[21hens-incharge]

That layer feed has me scratching my head a bit. Everything looks ok BUT why the ash and why in up 18% quantity in the feed??!

The amount of treats seems excessive to me. In what volume are the treats being given? A measured cup, a handful, a big scoop? How many birds are the treats being shared by?
Giving just 1Tablespoon per large bird equates to about 10% of the daily intake so try to stick to that volume.

I am betting the small eggs are from the marans. Not every marans will lay that sought after dark color.

How many birds in the flock? Ages? Breeds? How many eggs a day are you currently getting?

 

[aart]

One thing about cracked grain feeds, is that the fines(vitamins/minerals/amino acids) get lost at the bottom of the bag and feeder. It's best to ferment or at least soak the feed to capture some of those fines where the birds can eat them.
....or go to a crumble or pelleted feed.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm no expert on Chicken Behaviors, I might as @aart , @3KillerBs , @21hens-incharge @cmom if maybe they could weigh in.

To my (limited) knowledge, a chicken doesn't normally suddenly start laying small eggs after laying large ones. Yes, its normal for birds to lay a few smallish eggs as their plumbing works the kinks out, and then for egg size to grow in the first weeks to months of their initial laying year - but that's it. Not egg size that suddenly and visibly decreases.

And while I can (and have) linked to studies showing that average egg quantity (of lay), quality (contents), and size increase on a diminishing basis with crude protein intake, those amounts (while statistically measurable with high confidence) are so small the typical flock owner wouldn't notice. Certainly with regard egg size - you need calipers to measure the average difference. Sure, there's some variation w/i birds, but mine that normally lay md-lg sometimes lay a lg. and the XL sometimes lay a jumbo. But not that one of my Comets might suddenly start drooping md-lg eggs after having dropped XLs all year long.

I've no explanation. Wasn't aware it was possible. My Golden Comets still lay huge eggs, they passed 1 yr of age a few months back. My SLW still lay Md to Md-Lg. So do my Brahma.

As to the Marans (I've not owned one), they are famously broody. And their egg size, apart from a dark brown color, is highly variable. Any chance the eggs you are seeing are from her?

Oh, there's plenty of Calcium in that feed while I support the use of free choice oyster shell, and generally oppose the use of "layer" feed, a shortage of calcium isn't causing your Comet not to lay. If a lack of calcium was an issue, you'd much more likely note weak shelled eggs, and even "shell-less" eggs and a decline in your bird's condition before laying stopped.

I'd instead look for signs of early molting, and evidence of vent gleet or other signs of possible reproductive problems.

Then, if I thought it might be disease, I'd post pictures and summon Azygous Eggcessive or Wyorp Rock for additional assistance. Overo Mare is good on lots of these topics too.

Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Out of extreme curiosity I sent them an e-mail asking. If I hear back I will post what they say.

 

[LaFleche]

I would not consider a chicken feed containing just 16% crude protein and listing cracked corn as their main ingredient an appropriate feed for laying hens.

16% crude protein does not mean that all of these 16% will be digestible and thus useful for the hens egg production abilities.

And corn as the main ingredient will make them develop fat pads real fast while still shoving the breast bones due to lack of protein.

Especially Marans will need a feed containing peas or soy beans to provide the necessary protein % of at least 18-20, and then barley and only some wheat.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't know if I can contribute anything significant.

I agree that 16% protein is a bit lower than many BYC people prefer to feed and that the treat foods seem rather abundant, but I would have thought that it would take longer than a month or 6 weeks for a nutritional imbalance to show up in noticeable effects.

How sure are you of which hen is laying which egg?

In re: investigating nest boxes and sitting in there, it seems that many POL pullets do like to put in some practice before they actually start laying.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Here's some info from @U_Stormcrow
All flock/flock raiser feeds are the best, and most of them have 20% protein which is best.
Treats should not consist if over 10% of the chickens daily diet by weight.
I keep remembering to post this but then I forget when I get on the forum.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not sure what them mean by ash on the label, either.

On the one hand, ash is high in minerals - calcium and phospherous mostly, and I've seen claims that adding up to 1% wood ash into your poultry feed can be of benefit. There's a popular belief that ash increases protein digestibility. Most of what I've read suggests that not the case, and in the case of meat and bone meal, higher ash% correlates with a reduction in some of the amino acids (like lysine) chickens most need.

More likely, however, its talking about the gross mineral content if you cook the feed at very high temp, such that all the moisture, fats, carbs, and proteins cook away, leaving only things like calcium, phosperus, iron, etc...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah, nothing objectionable. No need for some of those things (like the grit), but not objectionable.

That's why I'm thinking its being used in the "burn it all up, weigh what's left" sense of the word.