I have 9 Wyandottes in about a 12 X 24 ft pen with a coop. 4 are Golden Laced Wyandotte pullets, beautiful, large birds in great condition, that I bought at a swap meet a month or so ago. the guy I bought them from said he got them as chicks at Cackle hatchery, and that they had been laying about a month, at that time. (Also in the pen are 4 pullets and a rooster that are Silver Laced Wyandottes that I bought at Cackle as chicks, and they are 4 1/2 months old. Not laying yet. About 2/3 the size of the Golden. But I digress.
the 4 Golden laced have been laying 4 eggs just about every day--I was so proud of them. About a week ago, they stopped laying, and I haven't gotten an egg from them since. They aren't molting, nothing has changed, EXCEPT a friend gave me about half dozen pumpkins when they took down their Halloween decorations, and I chopped one in half and left it in their pen. They LOVED it, and pecked it all out, even eating most of the outer rind. So I chopped another, happy that they were enjoying them so much. (My main laying pen, who are 2 year olds and molting, so aren't laying either, won't eat pumpkin.??) Anyway, so their layer pellets are still there, but they probably have been eating a pretty good percentage of pumpkin in their diet the last week or 2. Do you suppose the pumpkin caused them to stop laying?? It's the only thing that is different--they aren't old enough to molt, nothing has scared them, etc. Besides their layer feed, I usually tossed in a little cracked corn--maybe a teaspoonful or 2 per bird, per day, but have been doing that all along. Temp. was 64 at 8 a.m. today, but is down to 44 now, at a little after 11, but we haven't had any very bad winter as yet. any ideas? should I make sure not to give them any more pumpkin, or did I overdo it, or do you think it is something else entirely. They still look great, seem happy, etc.
the 4 Golden laced have been laying 4 eggs just about every day--I was so proud of them. About a week ago, they stopped laying, and I haven't gotten an egg from them since. They aren't molting, nothing has changed, EXCEPT a friend gave me about half dozen pumpkins when they took down their Halloween decorations, and I chopped one in half and left it in their pen. They LOVED it, and pecked it all out, even eating most of the outer rind. So I chopped another, happy that they were enjoying them so much. (My main laying pen, who are 2 year olds and molting, so aren't laying either, won't eat pumpkin.??) Anyway, so their layer pellets are still there, but they probably have been eating a pretty good percentage of pumpkin in their diet the last week or 2. Do you suppose the pumpkin caused them to stop laying?? It's the only thing that is different--they aren't old enough to molt, nothing has scared them, etc. Besides their layer feed, I usually tossed in a little cracked corn--maybe a teaspoonful or 2 per bird, per day, but have been doing that all along. Temp. was 64 at 8 a.m. today, but is down to 44 now, at a little after 11, but we haven't had any very bad winter as yet. any ideas? should I make sure not to give them any more pumpkin, or did I overdo it, or do you think it is something else entirely. They still look great, seem happy, etc.
