Flock not laying - help please

DoeAndGander

Songster
5 Years
May 24, 2017
535
713
236
Southern Minnesota
Hey all! About half of my flock is not laying. Can I please get some feed back on food/diet? I’m feeding them all Home Fresh multiflock. I have a mix of ages. We’re running into shorter days but this all started before daylights savings (its been 3-4 months for my hens). With so many not laying it feels something is up. I’m more concerned with reason for my (3) older hens not laying (not in molt). They all get about 10% treats as well (fruits, veggies, BOSS, millet). They free range 2-3 hours a day currently.

HENS - All Spring of 2018 hatch - currently a little stressed due to guinea moving in but was experiencing this before I introduced her
(2) Easter Egger
(1) Buff Orpington


PULLETS
-(1)Crested cream legbar (4/24/20 hatch) started lay mid October for 3-4 weeks and stopped. No egg since
-(2) Double Laced Barnevelders (5/5/20 hatch) as far as I can tell - only one out of two has been laying for a month in a half
-(2) Calico Princess (5/20/20 hatch) and again, as far as I can tell - only one out of 2 has been laying for a month in a half

The rest of my flock who are laying just fine:
-(1) Olive Egger
-(3) ISA Browns

Any help is appreciated!
E73A13E8-EEE1-4D3C-BC2F-B00C87BCDCA4.jpeg
 
Calcium is low on that feed. Do you offer oyster shell? Feed egg shells back?

It is that time of year. Shorter days. Colder. Light molting? Some of your younger hens probably just started laying recently? I'd also read up on your breeds and their typical amount the lay. Age also comes into play on number they lay. It decreases each yr.
They’re offered oyster shell always.bI do understand shorter days, amount of light, egg decrease, etc. They’re offered oyster shell always. They’re not laying at all is why I’m alarmed by it. Above I listed ages.
 
They’re offered oyster shell always.bI do understand shorter days, amount of light, egg decrease, etc. They’re offered oyster shell always. They’re not laying at all is why I’m alarmed by it. Above I listed ages.
So the pullets are right at 6 months. Its about time to start but some will sandbag, then with the season change it really throws them off. Are they hiding any eggs when they free range? I think I've read legbars sometimes don't go to the nest. Had an amerucana mix that did that and was teaching the others as well. Found a treasure trove under the coop. No more of that. Chicken wire.

I would still look up typical lay rates for each breed.
 
So the pullets are right at 6 months. Its about time to start but some will sandbag, then with the season change it really throws them off. Are they hiding any eggs when they free range? I think I've read legbars sometimes don't go to the nest. Had an amerucana mix that did that and was teaching the others as well. Found a treasure trove under the coop. No more of that. Chicken wire.

I would still look up typical lay rates for each breed.

Could a pest/predator/thief be getting the eggs? Any hiding spots where they might be building a huge secret nest?

I’ll compare lay rates but I know which breed belongs to each egg by color and I only have two at most of each breed. I checked vents, and I was correct on those laying and not. Definitely no predator in my raised coops, thankfully. Good news! My second Barnevelder started to lay yesterday@30 weeks - typical is 28 wks. I guess I have some slow maturing pullets. There is no secret nests yet as I’m always watching them because of our local predators.

thanks all for your help! I greatly appreciate it. Glad to know my feed isn’t lacking. I’ve checked for lice and parasites and nothing. Going to try natural deworming just Incase.
529D8CD7-A1D0-4C1F-BFBF-97804F969536.jpeg
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom