Difficult start to egg laying season

Mjwaker86

Hatching
Apr 30, 2023
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I seem to be having a tricky start to egg laying season. In the past week I've had a hen go off her food for 24 hrs after laying an egg, another pass a heavily coated powdered egg (assuming excess calcium) then seemed off for 24hrs and ive just found a hen doing the penguin stance.

The first two seem to be ok now.
The chicken found this morning has come inside for espon bath, monitoring and a quiet place.

They have access to grit and oyster shell. They have a good quality feed. They are upto date with worming/ parasite treatment. They have a good size pen, plenty of nest boxes, Clean coop. Fresh water. With apple cider vinegar or poultry vitamins as timetabled throughout the month. No obvious stresses such as bullying or predictors.

All my hens are between 2-3 years.

Is this normal for hens to struggle when they come back into egg laying season after taking a break over that winter month?. If I recall had a few hiccups last year but this just seems to be relentless over the past few days.

Thoughts, suggestions and experiences welcome please
 
It is very common to have glitches as they start laying. It is common to have them lay 2-3 times, take a break of a couple days, start again, or lay consistently from the get go.It is common for them to eat more on one day, less on another. It is not a precise science. People really have very little control over bodily functions of chickens. Give them the best (and you are) life you can, and don't fret it.

Your diet for the birds appears to be fine. Personally I only give clean water to my birds. I will use vinegar to wash out water containers.

But 2-3 year old birds - are getting older. Imagine a person being 70 years old. Some people will die at this age. Some will live for 25 + more years. Some depends on life style, but certainly not all. I do know that people post on here about very old birds, but there are a lot of birds that do not live that long, regardless of a good life.

As a bird ages, they stay out of production longer after the molt. They will start up laying later in the spring, and quit much earlier in the fall. That is normal.

If one wants (and I do) steady production, then you need to add younger birds to your flock, and cycle older birds out.

Mrs K
 

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