Help I have Free Loading Chickens

[rcentner]

Quote:
Yay!! I also am only getting 1-2 eggs per day from 10 hens. I have one that has not missed a day! She is our old faithful! Can't wait for longer days!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I have twenty-five hens and I only get one to two eggs a day during the winter, if that. That said, most of my birds are older (some up to ten years old), and I don't keep my chickens for eggs anyway so I don't care how much or how little they lay.

Of course, the free eggs are nice, but when they don't lay we just don't eat eggs.

Funny enough, the ones that are laying the most right now are my seramas. Good luck making an omelette with those eggs! I'd need a pretty good number.

 

[gsim]

For anyone with chooks coming out of molt, try Calf-Manna. It is high protein and may jump-start them. Remember too that they need some of their food just to keep warm, unlike in warmer months. Meat scraps are great too for jump-starting them sometimes. they are so cheap to feed that it is easier to just rock along for awhile than to start all over with chicks to bring along for 5 or 6 months before you see even one egg. Being layers, they are not that good for eating. (Meaties have been bred for that.)

So if I was in your shoes, all of you, I would say to just wait it out. And when you do order more chicks for your flocks, look into those which are known to be good winter producers and buy accordingly. That was a prime concern for me as I was not the least bit interested in chickens for looks. I just wanted some consistency.

 

[walbarbsa]

I threatened mine with the crock pot and, voila!, eggs were a - poppin'....seriously, though, the molted and egg production dropped to one or two eggs a day from 25 laying hens. It's picking up now. So just wait and wait; they'll start again.

 

[melody123]

Can they be laying somewhere else? ( A corner or something) Is it possible that you have an egg eater. (put some storebought eggs in the nest to find out.) Are they molting (do they look dishelved and missing some feathers.) Are they really old or really young? How long are their lights on for? What feed are they eating? Are they mad at you???

 

[write2caroline]

You could use this as an excuse to get a couple more chickens, you know, rotate the stock! Add a couple retire a couple. The chicken thing is addictive!
Caroline

 

[neuchicontheblock]

You mean that chickens lay eggs?????????? That's news to me....gonna have to go talk to my freeloaders, the little snots.