Help! Chickens stopped laying!

[Charlotteandfriends]

A chick grower feed or an all flock feed, with 18%-20% protein. You can throw out oyster shells for your hens.

How much should I feed oyster shells?
Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

How much should I feed oyster shells?
Thank you!

You can attach a dollar store bread pan to something and just fill it with the shell, they'll take what they need. I personally just throw it on the ground for them to find.

 

[TooCheep]

How much should I feed oyster shells?
Thank you!

You can attach a dollar store bread pan to something and just fill it with the shell, they'll take what they need. I personally just throw it on the ground for them to find.

Yup. The hens will regulate their own calcium intake. Just make it available to them and they'll choose when they want it. Dried, crushed egg shell also works well. I use a mixture.

FYI- This method of feeding/calcium has many advantages over using layer feed. No issues with too much calcium for pre-layer hens, cockerels, older hens, hens in winter, only some hens laying and some not, etc.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens have been feeding themselves when free ranging for thousands of years, even before they were domesticated. They lay eggs and hatch and raise chicks. Dad had chickens like that, the only time he purposely fed them was in winter when snow was on the ground. We ate a lot of eggs and chicken meat too. The eggs may not have all been double extra huge but they were decent size and a fair amount of them. The chicks that hatched from those eggs were healthy.

To do that you need quality forage, which you find on a lot of small farms. A variety of grasses and other plants, plants going to seed, bugs, and other creepy crawlies. It can help if you are feeding other animals where they can get to their feed but it is not necessary. I grew up on one of those farms. If all you have is a manicured lawn with nothing but cut grass it will not work. I don't know what your forage looks like but what you are doing doesn't sound that unusual to me.

I don't see anything wrong with 16% Layer feed. As much as yours forage they are going to determine how much total protein they eat anyway. Lots of us feed 16% protein feed and do great.

You say they stopped laying. How well were they laying before they practically stopped?

It sounds like you are keeping them confined at least part of the week. Do you see any change in egg laying when they are confined? If they were hiding a nest (and it is not where they are confined) egg production should go up when they are confined. Sometimes critters can be eating the eggs. Most critters leave evidence behind when they eat eggs, eggshell or wet spots. Are you seeing those? Critters that don't leave evidence in Florida would be snakes, canines, and humans. Snakes tend to eat eggs one day and stay away two or three days while they digest them so if it is steady it isn't likely a snake. Most canines like fox or coyote would probably be more interested in your chickens than the eggs but a dog often will leave the chickens alone and eat eggs. Does a dog have access? A human does not necessarily mean a stranger or a thief. Sometimes it is a family member playing a practical joke.

Another possibility is that they are molting. Are you seeing feathers flying around? I know it is not the normal molting time in the fall but a drop in daylight hours can trigger a molt. That might mean a security light that went out or something like that. Stress like going without water for a couple of days or a predator attack might trigger a molt, either full or partial.

Another one is that some diseases can stop egg laying. If they are acting normal and not showing signs of disease this probably not the cause but I have to mention it.

Another cause of the stopping laying is that they go broody. I can't imagine ten or eleven of yours going broody and you not mentioning it.

I don't know why so many of yours stopped laying. There are a lot of possibilities. I sincerely do not think feed is the culprit. If you kept them confined where they cannot forage and they depend on you for all they eat it would be a different situation.

 

[Krugerrand]

Are you sure you don't have predators stealing your eggs? opossum, snake, rat? Can you get a trail camera on your nest boxes to be sure?

 

[Huntmaster]

They free range on days that I am home

That's what I thought before but they aren't out often enough to have time to lay in a secret spot.

No, I don't give them access to feed all the time, Only when I think they need it or when I am putting them away.

I feed them Purina egg laying pellets about once or twice week

Sounds like they are in a run a lot of the time and not sure what you have for free range, but it must be pretty spectacular. To not be out enough to not be able to hide eggs and still get enough quality feed in that time. I would always give them access to their laying pellets if that's what you choose to feed not just once or twice a week. I have 7 acres here for birds to free range and they still get access to a quality feed. That they eat from several times a day along with 100% free range.

 

[EddieSalita]

Can you post pictures of the chickens and their run please. Also, what breed of chickens are they?

Feeding whe you think they need it.... am I reading this correctly?

 

[Acre4Me]

Water, water, water…..

When they are hot, they hunker down in shade or dirt pits. They don’t drink water, beyond basic minimum. Their egg production slows or stops without enough water to support production. They don’t drink warm to hot water, nor rusty water -all things I’ve experienced with my flock.

So, in hot months (which are likely less hot than yours, since I’m in Ohio), I give them reason to drink water. Feed + cold water, soak for a few minutes. Stir, add more to make it like a batter. Add BIG ice cubes that will slowly melt. Sprinkle with a few seeds, bits of fruit, dried bugs…just a little bit of whatever. They will rush you and gulp it down (well, as much as a chicken can gulp). I do this once most of their run is shaded around 2 pm. It always works to support egg production!

Good luck!

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

Sounds like they are in a run a lot of the time and not sure what you have for free range, but it must be pretty spectacular. To not be out enough to not be able to hide eggs and still get enough quality feed in that time. I would always give them access to their laying pellets if that's what you choose to feed not just once or twice a week. I have 7 acres here for birds to free range and they still get access to a quality feed. That they eat from several times a day along with 100% free range.

I went and picked up some all flock feed with 20% protein and oyster shells yesterday and I'm giving them access to it 24/7 as well as free ranging, so we'll see how that goes! We have an acre here In Florida but hawks are also a big problem. I have lost multiple to hawks and four to ground predators so I'm overprotective of them now. I'm home most of the week but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the only days they are in their coop.

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

Can you post pictures of the chickens and their run please. Also, what breed of chickens are they?

Feeding whe you think they need it.... am I reading this correctly?

I will get a picture here for you In an hour or so.

I have six blue Cochin (One being a rooster.), four Easter eggers, Two Rhode Island reds, a Polish rooster, and one Speckled Sussex hen.

I switched over to all flock feed and oyster shells yesterday and I am giving them access to it 24/7. They free range on an acre when I'm home (Monday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday,Sunday.) and when I'm not they are in their tunnels.