Chickens not laying

[Gamecock Apiaries]

I am having a problem with my chickens laying. I live in the Murfreesboro, TN area. I have over 40 hens/pullets. Most of the pullets should be hens by now. I have always had a slow down in Jun through Oct.

But this year is different. I started out with 4 hens from last year laying almost daily. I purchased chicks Oct of 2016, and several times this year up through around April. Many in April were already at least 4-6 weeks old. I also have a roo that was supposed to have been a pullet.

As the pullets started to lay he would jump on them along with other hens. I was getting 12-13 eggs a day. May: 355, June:162, July: 92 Aug:71 Sept:15 and Oct:0. August and the first part of Sept I was getting 2+ eggs/day. They it quickly dropped off to 1 or 2 one day and 0 the next. To the point I no longer get any eggs.

Almost every one of these birds should be laying now. They are free range and eat all day long. I quit feeding layer pellets because it wasn't working. They dynamics of the flock has changed drastically. The hens range all over the place. They rooster no longer is interested in the hens and almost always is by himself. When I throw out scraps, he is now "everyone for him/herself". No longer letting the hens know where to get the best scraps or scratch. In fact, he will peck at them just like the hens do to each other when I feed them.

In June I put a large fan in the coop to keep it cooler. They have several places to get water.

Can anyone help me? I am at a loss as to what to do and a large loss financially. Is it time to give up and start selling chickens for meat and eating them myself?

 

[Kiki]

Drop the scratch out completely.
Feed only the layer pellets/crumbles.

Check them real good at night with a flash light for mites too.

DE is worthless...it will not prevent worms or get rid of mites...so trash it.

 

[Gamecock Apiaries]

Drop the scratch out completely.
Feed only the layer pellets/crumbles.

Check them real good at night with a flash light for mites too.

DE is worthless...it will not prevent worms or get rid of mites...so trash it.

Thanks, but I have to disagree with you on the mites for sure. I am a whole seller of PermaGuard FSF DE. I have put it on my animals. My previous Great Pyrenees was being treated with DE on his coat. When we got him saved you should have seen all of the dead and dried up ticks on his skin.

I am asking for help and don't want to offend others here, but my knowledge and experience with DE may be different than yours.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks, but I have to disagree with you on the mites for sure. I am a whole seller of PermaGuard FSF DE. I have put it on my animals. My previous Great Pyrenees was being treated with DE on his coat. When we got him saved you should have seen all of the dead and dried up ticks on his skin.

I am asking for help and don't want to offend others here, but my knowledge and experience with DE may be different than yours.

You can't offend me, no worries.

I have seen many many people here on BYC try DE only for it to fail on their birds.
Be careful with it on the birds it does a number on their skin.
It WILL not work even with the slightest amount of dampness in the air and it is almost impossible to get it in the cracks of a coop where the MITES live.

 

[lazy gardener]

Looking forward to hearing back from OP again to provide some answers.

They dynamics of the flock has changed drastically. The hens range all over the place. They rooster no longer is interested in the hens and almost always is by himself. When I throw out scraps, he is now "everyone for him/herself". No longer letting the hens know where to get the best scraps or scratch. In fact, he will peck at them just like the hens do to each other when I feed them.

In June I put a large fan in the coop to keep it cooler. They have several places to get water.

I was feeding them layer pellets on every other day some scratch. I have mixed DE in their feed in the past but haven't done it in quite a while. I will have to ask my vet about checking the droppings for worms. For me to give them DE, I will have to purchase some of the feed (pellets and/or scratch).

For planning purposes, once you get them laying again. Optimum performance, most eggs with minimum feed, on a grass or free range system is 4.5 oz of feed per bird per day. So 40 birds = 11.25 pounds per day.

Excellent post rhohns.

Based on above highlighted information from OP, without further clarification, my assessment of this situation is that these birds are underfed and have gone into survival mode. Based on the statement about "several places to get water", I'm left wondering if these birds even have dependable access to clean water. Again, only speculation on my part, based on the available information at this time.

 

[Kiki]

If it isn't mites, which it sounds like it isn't, or worms, try feeding excess calcium to help up their production. I had a similar problem ( and still do though it is getting better) with our 2 year old hens barely or not laying at all from spring until now, and it seems to be picking up. I am guessing it was because they were eating an unbalanced diet, with a lack of calcium, and now they are on Purina Organic Layer, which I really like. I am a fan of DE and it is the only mite/worm preventive we give them. It doesn't work at all on squash bugs though! Those things are impossible to kill!

A parasite research scientist's words about Diatomaceous Earth how it does not prevent worms or get rid of them.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks, but I have to disagree with you on the mites for sure. I am a whole seller of PermaGuard FSF DE. I have put it on my animals. My previous Great Pyrenees was being treated with DE on his coat. When we got him saved you should have seen all of the dead and dried up ticks on his skin.

I am asking for help and don't want to offend others here, but my knowledge and experience with DE may be different than yours.

I bought a huge bag of DE and put it everywhere! Then one day I took a close look at some of my hens and they were covered in lice! DH didn't want me to use chemicals, so I covered each bird in DE, and I do me covered, lol. Several days later all still had lice.

 

[rottlady]

[QUOTE="lazy gardener,]
Based on above highlighted information from OP, without further clarification, my assessment of this situation is that these birds are underfed and have gone into survival mode. Based on the statement about "several places to get water", I'm left wondering if these birds even have dependable access to clean water. Again, only speculation on my part, based on the available information at this time.[/QUOTE]

I agree
Birds are in extreme protein deficit as well as calorie deficit and any who are laying are likely laying out while looking for food

Get yourself a high quality feed 18-20% protein (I use feather fixer) and even give them a hand full cat food a day

I'd personally lock them in coop a couple weeks to to retrain them to nest boxes

 

[lcwmt]

This is a wide ranging and interesting thread. What I noticed in the original post was this:
"Almost every one of these birds should be laying now. They are free range and eat all day long. I quit feeding layer pellets because it wasn't working. They dynamics of the flock has changed drastically. The hens range all over the place. They rooster no longer is interested..."

If the flock is free range all over the place, and the writer is in TN, is it not possible there are hidden nests?
That's a big drop off in *known* laying, and the rooster's behavior should not be a factor in the egg production.
I agree with whoever that confining the pullets for nestbox training would be worthwhile.
Beyond that, if nutrition is a factor, well then....

just a suggestion from a small flock keeper whose pullets really really like the tall weeds but are gradually getting accustomed to the nesting boxes.

 

[awarmrainyday]

The roosters behavior is a red flag to me. A well taken care of rooster will forage for his hens and act as their protector. I'd have to agree that he is probably in survival mode if he is staying away from the hens and just foraging for himself. I'm not surprised the chickens wouldn't be laying now because most are moulting but laying should have been excellent in June, July and August. Someone mentioned feeding feather fixed which is good, but I also recommends game bird/ showbird feed. I think it's slightly bit higher in protein. And certain vitamins. My chickens get dry cat food every few days and I have had no ill side effects, it's meant for my muscovies to help prevent anemia but the chickens enjoy jumping into the ducks feed dish to grab some when they can.