Girls quit laying @ 8 months old...

[Vanislandchick]

Not sure what to do. I have a group of birds that I selected for breeding this spring. They were laying so-so when I moved them into their breeding group (I was getting 2-3 eggs a day from 5 hens). They continued to lay for about 3 weeks, then right before I was able to begin collecting for hatching, they stopped collecting. Zip. Zilch. None. Nadda. We are looking at a month now with no eggs from this pen. There is no where they could hide them, either, so that's not the issue.

They are in a suitable sized tractor, eating fresh grass, breeder ration, scrambled eggs on occasion and black oil sunflower seeds. There is 1 roo and 5 girls, and the roo has a puppydog personality, he doesn't harass the girls non-stop.

So, I feel like giving up with these birds and getting out of this breed completely. I like their appearance, but am not in love with their personalities. They have always been flighty and standoffish. They have never been a STRONG layer. I don't expect to make millions of dollars from my chickens but when they are young healthy chickens not even laying an egg I can eat, how long do you keep feeding them for!? I have other heritage breeds that lay me an egg a day!

My main reason for hanging on to them is that I have had a lot of people wanting chicks and eggs from me of this breed. I don't know if I can attribute their lack of productivity to winter, or what. They are in a run that gets a LOT of natural light, the same amount of light as our laying hens that lay an egg a day.

What would you do?

 

[bluere11e]

Hmm,
First question is what kind of chickens do you have? I know some breeds tend to quit sooner than others and have a longer winter/moult period. Typical heritage breeds tend to not be "production" type birds that lay 280 eggs a year and late in the fall into early winter. If you want high production.. Choose a production RIR, California, Leghorn, Star cross or something that was bred for a lot of eggs. In my opinion, these don't always lay well or even look well in their later years and don't seem to have a long life span.
I have Marans and Welsummers that quit long before my RIRs and black stars do. They seem to start later in the spring than my production birds.

 

[Vanislandchick]

They are barnevelders, and have been laying through the worst of our winter, only quit now. We do have ISA's for producing eating eggs. I understand that they don't lay as well as them, but not laying at all is not great!

 

[dsqard]

Are they possibly going through a molt? This would explain why they are not laying.

 

[Vanislandchick]

No moult. Pristine feathers, shiney as can be. They don't have parasites. They ARE hens and not roo's. *sigh*

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens go through a 9-10 month old mini-molt. Usually, it's not that noticeable, but on occasion, they will stop laying for a brief period. Barnevelders aren't fabulous layers anyway--can't lay every day and maintain a super dark egg.

 

[Vanislandchick]

So don't give up is what you are saying.. lol...


I just feel the emptyness in the egg bucket each time I walk by their pen...

 

[BooBear]

Are they in molt?