Chickens Not Laying/ eating own eggs & Rooster tearing out feathers of hens

not closed in because of Avian Flu- they free range in the evening when i am home from work. Afraid of predators during the day....
 
Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters and knowing your general location can help us provide better-targeted advice.



"Mad" may not be the right word, but they are having their instincts frustrated and may be bored. Are they closed in because of the Avian Flu threat?

Photos of your setup?
oh- sorry- I am in Western NC. pastoral surrounded by woods.
 
The nozzle on the mustard can fit pretty good if you cut the tip of the egg a bit. I've found that if they can see the yellow, they are much more drawn to the egg. My own experience with my flock, someone else may have a different way.
they ate the eggs, anyways!!! UGHHHHH!
 
I would rather use some roll-off nest boxes, there are lots of instruction on how to DIY.

Rooster pedicure will help to avoid feather loss and injuries: clip and file the tips of his claws and spurs round and leave them without sharp edges on the side.
he is using his beak.
i really like him but he might have to go......
I got the girl's saddles i'm afraid he'll just start tearing the feathers off their head.
 
not closed in because of Avian Flu- they free range in the evening when i am home from work. Afraid of predators during the day....

How big is your coop?

If they feel crowded all day, a few hours of free range doesn't really adequately compensate.

the 16% protein Dumor layer pellets.

Layer pellet is designed to meet the needs of caged layers of production-strain birds for about a year of laying life. Many people here find that our birds do better on an 18-20% all flock type feed with oystershell on the side.

It's no guarantee, but many people have found that switching to a higher-protein feed reduces undesirable behaviors such as feather-picking and egg-eating.
 
The reason your hens are taking egg shells out of the compost is that they need more calcium. Many, including my self, purposefully feed the shells back to the chickens. For some birds layer feed and egg shells are not enough, so oyster shells should also be fed. Adding the extra calcium may be all that is needed to keep them from eating eggs. If it is not then they probably need more of something else in their diet such as the extra protein that was mentioned.
 
The reason your hens are taking egg shells out of the compost is that they need more calcium. Many, including my self, purposefully feed the shells back to the chickens. For some birds layer feed and egg shells are not enough, so oyster shells should also be fed. Adding the extra calcium may be all that is needed to keep them from eating eggs. If it is not then they probably need more of something else in their diet such as the extra protein that was mentioned.
The shells are hard....like dont break in my hands- or feel soft- ever.
Can i crush their shells and add back to them or is it better to buy oyster shell??
 
How big is your coop?

If they feel crowded all day, a few hours of free range doesn't really adequately compensate.



Layer pellet is designed to meet the needs of caged layers of production-strain birds for about a year of laying life. Many people here find that our birds do better on an 18-20% all flock type feed with oystershell on the side.

It's no guarantee, but many people have found that switching to a higher-protein feed reduces undesirable behaviors such as feather-picking and egg-eating.
coop is BIG. not sure of dimensions. but MORE than enough space for them. and WAY bigger than old coop. only drawback. LESS sunshine.
tried to get 18/20 % our local tractor supply only had 16%.
I will try another Feed and Seed and see if i can find higher protein.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom