egg production

[mmclaughlin]

well molt is almost over but the lack of daylight and cold are taking over : (
getting 2-3 eggs from 6 hens and 2 pullets not laying yet 20 weeks old
I put out oyster shell for them but I have a hen that has very thin shell/lots of breakage!!
not sure what hen it is...any suggestions how to treat??
thanks

 

[betsycam]

I am wondering the same thing! We won't get as cold as you, mmclaughlin, in the 20's being the worst for us. I let mine get in the bad habit of using a tree to roost but with the hard freeze we were expecting, I plucked them from the tree and put them in their coop last night. In the tree they don't necessarily huddle next to each other, one here, one there, a couple together...

I have two LW pullets that are old enough to lay now but haven't, probably because of the shorter daylight? They are probably about 6-7 months old. Wondering when I can expect them to kick in, as well as the others who quit laying with their molt. And then there's the two white leghorns who are going on two years old and seem to have never molted or ever quit laying since they began around five months old! Without those two, we'd have no eggs at all! Those two have come to about as close to laying 365 days/year as possible, with just a handful of off days between them!

How long do the days have to be before chickens will start laying again?

 

[aart]

well molt is almost over but the lack of daylight and cold are taking over : (
getting 2-3 eggs from 6 hens and 2 pullets not laying yet 20 weeks old
I put out oyster shell for them but I have a hen that has very thin shell/lots of breakage!!
not sure what hen it is...any suggestions how to treat??
thanks

What are you feeding?
How long have you had oyster shell out?

The thin shells could be from an older hen starting back up after their molt, they can have similar egg irregularities as pullets just starting to lay....or it could be from one of your pullets just starting to lay.

 

[mmclaughlin]

My 6 hens are 18 months old they have had oyster shell available to them for awhile maybe since last fall. this is there 1st real hard molt. I don't think it's one of my new pullets either the breakage or the "rubbers egg is quite big.. Happens now and again.. Just not sure who it is

they all seem fine and egg production is up a bit! I'll just take note who is laying and see if I can see a pattern
Thanks!

 

[Peeps61]

It sounds like it might be one of your new girls laying the thin shelled eggs. The oyster shell should help. My flock is two different ages - 3 of them are nearly 2 and two of those went through a molt, but both are laying now. Eggs are normal. My pullets - 6 of them - are all laying, and I get the occasional double yolker, or funny shaped egg, but I get between 4 and 9 eggs a day. I do have two coops. Light on in one and no light in the other. They will roost in the coop with no light when it's warm enough, and in the coop with light if it's cold outside. So, they don't get extra light every day, but do a few days a week. I think your hens may need a little more time to get things online. Good luck!

 

[aart]

My 6 hens are 18 months old they have had oyster shell available to them for awhile maybe since last fall. this is there 1st real hard molt. I don't think it's one of my new pullets either the breakage or the "rubbers egg is quite big.. Happens now and again.. Just not sure who it is

they all seem fine and egg production is up a bit! I'll just take note who is laying and see if I can see a pattern
Thanks!

Time, patience and observation are often the best teachers.

Are you feeding a layer type feed or a grower type feed?

Molting and non laying birds do not need the calcium in layer feed....and the higher protein in grower types feeds can really help them grow the new feathers.

 

[mmclaughlin]

I have been feeding grower feed but just switched to layer again thought it would help egg production.. As it has helped..or it's just a coincidence?
They get warm oatmeal with molasses and meal worms on cold mornings and scraps from salad some meats and occasionally fish. They also get some black sunflower seeds when I fill the bird feeders.
They get free range time on weekends.. Since it is dark after I get home from work.
They are very spoiled girls!
Thanks for all the advise!

 

[mjoen5]

I have 5 hens and they are 26 weeks old. My buff started laying yesterday for the first time. In the morning I found a tiny fairy egg, then around 3pm I found another egg a little bit bigger! Today however nothing so far! Wondering if anyone has any idea how the beginning of egg laying works?

 

[mmclaughlin]

I have 5 hens and they are 26 weeks old. My buff started laying yesterday for the first time. In the morning I found a tiny fairy egg, then around 3pm I found another egg a little bit bigger! Today however nothing so far! Wondering if anyone has any idea how the beginning of egg laying works?

wondering any more little eggs?? Have the others begun to lay yet??
I have 2 23 week olds and one of them just began to lay..not every day but getting more regular!!
they will get better at it and the eggs will grow in size.. and every so often you'll get a double yolker!! thats a bonus surprise

 

[bpre6606]

My 5 2olds and 5 1yr olds were down to 2-3 eggs a day until I put in a light on a timer. Nothing crazy. On at 5:30am off at 6:30pm and I'm up to 7-8 eggs a day now. Pretty sure 2 of the older ladies are producing anymore! Girls are all happy and healthy free range all day plus a feeder with pellets, little scratch and shells in the morning and veggie scraps..