You may not always know when your birds are molting, especially if this is your first chicken rodeo. Some birds do a fast molt. They blow feathers and look like they lost a fight with a weed wacker. Others do a slow molt, and you might notice new pin feathers sticking through the old feathers here and there. Your birds are the right age for a molt.
Temperature should not play much of a role, unless it's extremely cold (days on end below 0*F or a heat wave. This time of year, temp should not be an issue.
Check for mites at night with a strong flashlight. Check the birds and check the perches and walls adjacent to the perches. If you've had mite issues in the past, realize that they are tenacious, difficult to eradicate. You must treat the bird, completely clean out coop and destroy bedding, treat coop. Repeat the process again 7 - 10 days later.
What is the protein % of your feed? What is the mill date? Feed looses nutrient value quickly 6 weeks after milling. What else are they eating? If you're providing scratch or cracked corn, realize that those treats will cut their overall protein. They should get a minimum of 16% to optimize laying.
Any chance that they are hiding eggs in the yard? Any chance that a critter is stealing eggs?
Adding light should boost your production if all other issues have been dealt with. Warm spectrum light bulb. (I use LED 9W 3000K) It's not the COLOR of the light that is the issue. Simply using a red or orange colored bulb is not the same as providing a warm spectrum light. I start ramping the light up in mid fall, adding an hour/week until my final schedule provides 14 hours: On at 6:30 AM, off at 10:00 AM. On at 2:30 PM, off at 8:30 PM. I have a solar landscaping light close to the LED. The LED keeps the solar charged. When lights go out, the solar provides a bit of a night light to ease them into their roost time. However, even when I did not provide the night light, the birds were never caught off the perch when light went out at 8:30.
Temperature should not play much of a role, unless it's extremely cold (days on end below 0*F or a heat wave. This time of year, temp should not be an issue.
Check for mites at night with a strong flashlight. Check the birds and check the perches and walls adjacent to the perches. If you've had mite issues in the past, realize that they are tenacious, difficult to eradicate. You must treat the bird, completely clean out coop and destroy bedding, treat coop. Repeat the process again 7 - 10 days later.
What is the protein % of your feed? What is the mill date? Feed looses nutrient value quickly 6 weeks after milling. What else are they eating? If you're providing scratch or cracked corn, realize that those treats will cut their overall protein. They should get a minimum of 16% to optimize laying.
Any chance that they are hiding eggs in the yard? Any chance that a critter is stealing eggs?
Adding light should boost your production if all other issues have been dealt with. Warm spectrum light bulb. (I use LED 9W 3000K) It's not the COLOR of the light that is the issue. Simply using a red or orange colored bulb is not the same as providing a warm spectrum light. I start ramping the light up in mid fall, adding an hour/week until my final schedule provides 14 hours: On at 6:30 AM, off at 10:00 AM. On at 2:30 PM, off at 8:30 PM. I have a solar landscaping light close to the LED. The LED keeps the solar charged. When lights go out, the solar provides a bit of a night light to ease them into their roost time. However, even when I did not provide the night light, the birds were never caught off the perch when light went out at 8:30.
Thanks for all the help!
I don't know what to tell my neighbor. Our chickens definitely are molting (some pretty badly) How soon do you think they will start laying again? Will they lay this little till spring? Also another question, How soon do chicks start laying eggs? We have chicks that are about four months old and they haven't started laying yet. (as far as I know)
