Get my chickens laying again!

[jhazle]

My main concern is that my chickens stop laying eggs and I want to get them laying again. Help! I am pretty sure it was bad diet. It started by getting rotten eggs. Egg production then slowed down and now out of 17 chickens we are getting zero eggs.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Rotten eggs? Hens don't lay rotten eggs. I wonder if maybe they were hiding them so you didn't collect them right away?

Also, if you are in North America, days are super short, so they may not be laying. And it's molting season! My 11 hens aren't laying because every last one of them is molting right now.

What were you feeding them? What are you feeding now?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Rotten eggs? Hens don't lay rotten eggs. I wonder if maybe they were hiding them so you didn't collect them right away?

Also, if you are in North America, days are super short, so they may not be laying. And it's molting season! My 11 hens aren't laying because every last one of them is molting right now.

What were you feeding them? What are you feeding now?

I collected an egg once, freshly laid by a hen, & it was rotten. Never figured out how, or why it happened. Never happened again thankfully.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My main concern is that my chickens stop laying eggs and I want to get them laying again. Help! I am pretty sure it was bad diet. It started by getting rotten eggs. Egg production then slowed down and now out of 17 chickens we are getting zero eggs.

What do you feed?

Also, days are getting colder, & shorter this time of year. Hens are gonna begin molting, & taking a break from laying. Hens need a break, continued laying can cause health problems for them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My main concern is that my chickens stop laying eggs and I want to get them laying again. Help! I am pretty sure it was bad diet. It started by getting rotten eggs. Egg production then slowed down and now out of 17 chickens we are getting zero eggs.

How old are the hens?
Where are you located in the world?

What do you feed including treats?

What are you calling rotten eggs? Do you have photos? Could it be lash eggs? Have your hens ever had respiratory illness.

A few things that will make the inside of the egg is rotten or moldy, then eggs were not collected in a timely fashion and/ or bacteria entered the shell due to poor quality.

 

[jhazle]

Rotten eggs? Hens don't lay rotten eggs. I wonder if maybe they were hiding them so you didn't collect them right away?

Also, if you are in North America, days are super short, so they may not be laying. And it's molting season! My 11 hens aren't laying because every last one of them is molting right now.

What were you feeding them? What are you feeding now?

We had switched feed for our chickens and they were making an absolute mess of it. They had to have had almost 100 pounds of feed on the ground that they were not eating. They would just keep digging out like they were searching for better food. I couldn’t understand so I told my kids to shovel that food right back in. Bout a week after I was noticing a drastic decline in egg production along w rotten eggs(no joke. I hear internal bacteria infection can cause this). Then, no eggs. I’ll admit, there has been suspicions of molting too. We switched to a better food again but wondering if I can do anything to boost egg production

 

[HollowOfWisps]

We had switched feed for our chickens and they were making an absolute mess of it. They had to have had almost 100 pounds of feed on the ground that they were not eating. They would just keep digging out like they were searching for better food. I couldn’t understand so I told my kids to shovel that food right back in. Bout a week after I was noticing a drastic decline in egg production along w rotten eggs(no joke. I hear internal bacteria infection can cause this). Then, no eggs. I’ll admit, there has been suspicions of molting too. We switched to a better food again but wondering if I can do anything to boost egg production

What brand of feed?
You put out 100lbs all at once?
How long was it out there and did it get damp or wet at all?
Did you check the bag for mold before filling feeders?

 

[21hens-incharge]

If the feed was spoiled/rancid/past its prime yes they could and should reject it.

We need more info please.

Age of birds
Type and brand of feed
Do you check the dates on the feed when you buy it? The manufacturer puts a mill date on the feed bags.
What part of the world are you in?

 

[HumbleAmerican]

If the food was on the ground and got moist, high probability of mold. Not good on chickens.

Mine get 8 hours darkness max year round. Supplemented with light on timer.

I'd personally feed a high protein ration with calcium on the side. Keep them coop bound for a week and watch. If you are getting feathers everywhere it's molting season and they drop off till done. If not they'll get hungry enough to eat what's put in front of them. A week to ten days will make sure they are laying where you want, eating what you want and drinking what you want. It's as controlled an environment as you can get to figure issues.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

To clarify..... I wouldn't feed the stuff that's been on the ground. There's a reason it's been rejected.