Frustrated!!!

[CatMack]

We have 9 chickens in total. 5 of them Wyndottes/Barnevalders are 14 months old. 3 of them have completely stopped laying....we have tried so many recommendations with no results. We noticed the decline in March. The group consistently layed 3 eggs/day. We are lucky if we get 2/week from them.

We thought the were going through a molt back in the spring. If it was, it was mild

-We gave them more light
-We gave them more protein (sardines, tuna, meal worm etc) also purchased laying crumb with 16% protein.
-We cut back on treats, grass, scratch
-We just recently changed there bedding again!! and added diatomecous earth (concerned with bugs).
-We added oyster shell grit
-We made sure that the coop was at a comfortable temperature all winter. Dry, with heat and comfortable straw bedding
-Created a nice fenced in area to hang outside during the day. (April to early November)
-We have monitored for outside stresses, other animals bothering them. Unless something is happening while we are away at work
-Making sure they have plenty of cool water at all times
-We made sure they have a comfortable nesting box x 2, slipped away in the corner for privacy
-I added a golf ball in to fake an egg in the nesting box Hoping they would think...oh yes..I remember laying!!!
-I tried contacting the person we purchased the girls from to see if this is something that can happen with this specific breed..she never got back to me.


As a next step we are going to add Cider vinegar to there water



We added new chickens to the group...which threw off the pecking order but this was back in May and everyone seems happy and getting along again. The new chickens, Lavender Americana's are laying now (thank God) or we would have no eggs. We also have 12 week old Silkies that stay in a separate mini coop inside and outside until we can introduce them with the big girls(had an incident where 1 of these guys accidentally got out with the general population and almost died from them badly beating her up.

They have a very good life and I can't see why they would be stressed in any way. They all look extremely healthy!!!

Is their such a thing as a dud/lemon chicken???

How can it go from 105 eggs in the month of December to 15 eggs from this past June??

What are we doing wrong??

I was considering moving some girls out and rotating new chickens in but was vito'd by my 11 year old with tears as he doesn't want to split the gang up.

We would so appreciate any help/advice.

 

[CatMack]

The girls are all in a fenced in area that has a very open visible yard....no eggs outside. We also put a viewcam inside the coop to film them...no ones is eating eggs. Could it be the breed???

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Those aren't breeds the are known for laying a lot, and all chickens are different, those bred for showing will hardly lay at all. It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong, I think your older birds will start to molt soon, the younger ones are not going to be big producers either, you should probably look to add more breeds that are egg producers, it doesn't help you any now though. And most hens lay the most on their first laying cycle, so your hens have already given you their best.

Sorry, there seems to be a big misperception about egg production in backyard flocks, the more room you give your birds the less they lay, that is why big producers confine hens in small cages, and only have certain breeds. Then they cull all birds after the second forced cycle, and start over. I think your chickens are doing all they can.

 

[cochinsarecute]

Have they ever been wormed? ( DE does not take care of worms in chickens it's a preventative at best) I'd worm them and check for lice and mites DE is also only a preventative at best for those