Chickens not laying

[rjohns39]

Ok... In your situation, contact Johnny taylor farm and get your layer from him. He's within an hour drive from you--but he prefers to sell in 35 gallon containers.

 

[Kiki]

Why are my hens not laying?

and

http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

 

[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.

 

[casportpony]

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 mights live.

Yeah, where's that post from @JaeG i think? Something about mites nesting in nesting boxes?

 

[Kiki]

Yeah, where's that post from @JaeG i think? Something about mites nesting in nesting boxes?

I'm looking for it now.

 

[Kiki]

Mites (pest) and using DE

 

[lazy gardener]

OP: YOU have over 40 birds. I was having a hard time following your feeding program. Can you clarify for us: How much feed are you going through in a month, and what is the feed, specifically, what is the protein %, and what is the mill date on your last bag of feed?

 

[casportpony]

Mites (pest) and using DE

That's one of them, lol

And this post is from someone that really does know what she's talking about:
Mites (pest) and using DE - I take all advice from this poster as Golden!

 

[rjohns39]

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.

 

[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.