Chickens stopped laying after... (highly probable due to low nutrition)

[hysop]

The 20% protein sounds good, but cracked corn is usually pretty low in protein. So the easiest way to raise the protein content would be to skip the corn and just feed the grower food.


If their vents still look like they might be laying, I would be looking really hard at whether anything could be stealing the eggs. (Or maybe it just takes more than a week for the vent change to happen.)

I know you said they've stopped the egg song, but I have sometimes had hens lay quietly.


If you decide to butcher them (because they are not laying), you could look for developing egg yolks inside, which would be pretty conclusive proof one way or another about laying. You could also look at what amount of fat they have, as a indicator of whether they have been getting the right amount of food.

Thanks. I’ll definitely look into that. I don’t plan on butchering anyone yet until it’s been 3 weeks of consistent zero eggs.

— started to reply and must have gotten distracted. Those two sentences were from Wednesday.

My husband said he heard the egg song just now (Monday)!!
We fed them twice a day of the 20% grower + some cracked corn (mostly as a filler to save some $$). So 60 cups for 24 chickens.

And I also gave them some homemade cottage cheese and some rice cooked in the leftover whey from the homemade cottage cheese. One batch was from cow milk. Another batch from goat milk.

I’ll try to free feed them again for a week and if the feed bill sky rockets then I’ll rethink my choice. But if it remains around the same I’ll change to free feeding.

I’ll update once more when they are back to consistently laying.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

wow, I just read the whole thread waiting for the happy ending... or some reasonable answer.

I will make my spouse read this before he culls anyone. Normally it is done well out of sight, but now I also want it out of earshot!


if you have any eggs left in the fridge, maybe mark them and put them in the nest box... if they are disappearing, these will too, and if they are too afraid, maybe this will trigger it.

if you underfeed they might stop laying, or eat eggs, but not ALL the same day.

great mystery to read, must be exhausting to live through!

all the best to you

 

[NatJ]

if you have any eggs left in the fridge, maybe mark them and put them in the nest box... if they are disappearing, these will too,

That sounds like a clever idea!

 

[Mellowmalt]

My husband said he heard the egg song just now (Monday)!!
We fed them twice a day of the 20% grower + some cracked corn (mostly as a filler to save some $$). So 60 cups for 24 chickens.

And I also gave them some homemade cottage cheese and some rice cooked in the leftover whey from the homemade cottage cheese. One batch was from cow milk. Another batch from goat milk.

I have also just finished reading it and I have highlighted what I believe is the root cause of this problem.

a) chickens are getting their feed restricted to save $$
b) chickens seem to be getting a cheese which is harmful to chickens in large quantities. Chickens cannot digest any dairy products. I know they eat a lot, insects, seeds, meat , plants but just like dogs should not eat chocolate chickens should not eat milk.

I am also not in favor of letting any of the chickens see one of their siblings get culled, I doubt that is the reason for 3 weeks of no eggs, it is to do with what they are eating but I wouldn't do that to my birds.

I slapped one of my cockerels a couple weeks back for being aggressive and I kind of regret it, he still hasn't forgiven me for it, they remembe for a long time and I feel it has turned him into a bit of a mistrusting coward now as a result. Like said I regret it, can't change that he does distrust me now and they remember for a long time to the point of making them change their behavior.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I slapped one of my cockerels a couple weeks back for being aggressive and I kind of regret it

maybe take him out for a spa day, just the two of you? a little mediation, martinis with worms... for you and for him... they are like 2 yr olds, they are full of the desire to please, and we never forgive ourselves for a teaching moment that teaches fear instead of correct behavior...

maybe a movie with popcorn ? just the two of you ? (no butter or salt, air-popped)

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Not directly in front of them but definitely nearby. Our chopping stump is near the run. But all of them?? Maybe they did all manage a look.

I had mentioned that to my husband but he tried saying he’s dispatched chickens in front of others in the past with no effects like these. But now that I think about it it was during winter so they weren’t laying to start with.

It possibly was due to that traumatic event then. I’ll ask him to dispatch the other cockerels elsewhere.

I’ll keep checking daily and will report back when they finally decide to lay.

If they saw or heard that I am sure it traumatized them. My chickens seem to always remember stuff too.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

by the way, my best $$ savings is to buy grains and soak them into sprouts (soak 8 hrs, rinse then rinse 3 times a day). Sprouts fill more than grains and cost very little, but it is time consuming. (not each time, but the thinking about it takes time out of my day )

if you can get a few hands full of different ones to see what they like best so you don't end up with a bag they won't eat

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

My chickens seem to always remember stuff too.

mine remember things like 'if the human walks in with hands full, run between their legs and then head left, you can sneak out and get to the flowerbeds that way'

 

[hysop]

I haven’t finished the last few replies. Will in one second.

They started laying May 1st. Started with one egg. Now I’m up to 5 per day. I’ll see when I’m back to 8-12 a day like before.

My White Leghorns are always the first to start no matter how old they are. I think I will get more!!

So this lasted just shy of 3 weeks. 2 weeks and some days. Someone do the math

—I went back and did the math. It was EXACTLY 3 weeks that they didn’t lay.—

Now to read and reply to these posts.

 

[hysop]

I have also just finished reading it and I have highlighted what I believe is the root cause of this problem.

a) chickens are getting their feed restricted to save $$
b) chickens seem to be getting a cheese which is harmful to chickens in large quantities. Chickens cannot digest any dairy products. I know they eat a lot, insects, seeds, meat , plants but just like dogs should not eat chocolate chickens should not eat milk.

I am also not in favor of letting any of the chickens see one of their siblings get culled, I doubt that is the reason for 3 weeks of no eggs, it is to do with what they are eating but I wouldn't do that to my birds.

I slapped one of my cockerels a couple weeks back for being aggressive and I kind of regret it, he still hasn't forgiven me for it, they remembe for a long time and I feel it has turned him into a bit of a mistrusting coward now as a result. Like said I regret it, can't change that he does distrust me now and they remember for a long time to the point of making them change their behavior.

The cottage cheese was given after they stopped laying. Not before. It’s only given once in a blue moon. I’m the one that mostly eats the cottage cheese.

As far as restricting feed. My chickens are pigs! I tried the free feeding last week. Well let me tell you the entire week they had their crops so full they looked like tumors! All of them! Not just one chubby one. So I’m back to measuring it out their feed.

I have been adding a bit of 20% grower feed as a snack. But I cannot do free feeding with my chubs.