Couple questions on deep litter and feathers

[mountainlover]

I have six chickens in a large homemade coop. This is their second winter. They recently stopped laying. Up until now we have gotten 4-6 eggs a day. Now nothing. They are molting and the coop and run have a layer of feathers on the ground. Using deep litter method, I have been stirring and adding more shavings all year long, and had no odor or any problems. Then we put the litter on the garden in early spring. But I have never had the feather problem. What do I do? Do I leave it in there as part of my deep litter method, or do I need to somehow get the feathers out, and how?? Also, do you think they have stopped laying because of molting? They are our lovely chicken pets, they will eat a spider right off the ceiling in our house if we go get one and hold her up. We hate spiders! Now we just go get a chicken. They are clean, no mites or anything, and have been very happy girls so I just want to make sure this is normal. Thank you!

 

[donrae]

Your hens aren't done laying forever, they're just taking a break for the winter. They'll start back up in the spring, once the days begin to lengthen out again. This is a normal cycle for a chicken. Each year they lay a little fewer eggs, but I've never had a bird quit completely. Even my 7 year old hatchery birds gave me 3ish eggs a week. That said, it's your management decision to feed non-producing birds over the winter or not. Most folks have a "rolling" flock, adding a few new chicks each spring. The chicks you start in Feb or March usually start laying in September, just before the older girls quit for the winter. That way you have a continuous supply of eggs. It's a very individual choice to keep older hens or not, you'll find folks on both sides of that coin and no one else can say what's going to be best for you.

 

[Thechickmama]

Hey my neighbors are having the same problem but how often do you feed them and is their water always full and never frozen? Hope this helps! Good luck.

 

[mountainlover]

They always have layer feed available, they always have fresh water, and they get daily scraps from our family of seven. They also have oyster shell, and occasionally some scratch for fun.

 

[ak rain]

Chickens stop laying when molting and at shorter days. Could be due to either these topics
Ak rain

 

[Thechickmama]

That's good! Do you let them free range sometimes? Not all the time just like 1/2 and hour a week or more(that is if the ground has no snow)? Cause that helped me last winter,also scraps help A LOT.

 

[Thechickmama]

Oh and with the feathers, if I where u I would just leave them, one cuz I'm lazy, and two cuz it's a nice for insulation.

 

[ak rain]

I also have DL I let free range when I'm home. Not much found I this frozen land.
Ak rain

 

[Thechickmama]

Haha yah I know what you mean

 

[mountainlover]

Yes, we let them run around when we can watch them. We have bear, fox, raccoon, mountain lion, bobcat and coyote so they can't be out unless we are too!