Help! My Chickens have not laid eggs in several Months~

[RenoHuskerDu]

There's only one hen left that we're not sure is laying. She just may be. So the need for Finisher is over.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Is it true that commercial eggs are grown by making the chickens stay awake 24hr with lighting?

No.

They run about 16.5 hours then give 7.5 hours of dark.

Just one example.
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/poultry/publication/commegg/

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Our hens are 1.5 years old. They went from 11/29 - 1/16 with no eggs. I started supplemental lighting on in the run on 12/26. The light shines in the window. At first it came on at 5am. I increased to 4am over a month. 5 of 7 hens are back laying. For December I switched to higher protein game feed. Back to layer pellets now. Have cut back on treats. Except for protein.

Hi @jreardon1918, Glad to hear you are getting eggs again. I guess I managed to do OK with my pullets this winter. I think all the good advice I have got from the BYC gang has helped immensely. So thank you all. I wish all the best to our friend in Virginia @beaches4me please listen to the experienced BYC flock, they really care about your flocks well being.

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

SNIP
The other feed which I think would probably be better cause it is 16% protein (where the above is 12%) would be:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dumor-poultry-layer-16-crumble-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Am I right in picking the second one instead of the first? The first one is cheaper but the second does have the 16% and that is what they should be getting right?

This is the one we're using. Got 8 eggs today from 8 layers. One young hen is about to start laying. So this seems to be a feed that works well.

 

[Danie34]

@oldhenlikesdogs Okay, thanks. But no veggie scraps, left over bread or egg shells? Just checking what you all do so I can do best by my girls.

I do not agree with you on you totally not giving your birds scraps of food. Chickens absolutely love bread and also salads that are old fruits and bunches of veggies and also crunched up egg shells for nutrition. I also give my chickens rice and corn bread any thing you don’t want that you know you are not going to eat give it too your birds. Also sunflowers seeds work wonderful. If you free rage. Let your chickens run free. You will definitely see a huge difference in your chickens.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I do not agree with you on you totally not giving your birds scraps of food. Chickens absolutely love bread and also salads that are old fruits and bunches of veggies and also crunched up egg shells for nutrition. I also give my chickens rice and corn bread any thing you don’t want that you know you are not going to eat give it too your birds. Also sunflowers seeds work wonderful. If you free rage. Let your chickens run free. You will definitely see a huge difference in your chickens.

I think it was more like dont give those things if your chickens are unhealthy or struggling. Not dont give those things ever. Also not everyone has the opportunity to free range their birds. I would even go so far as to hazard that free ranging a chicken that is unwell and feeding them only bread and old veggies is a good way to go from unwell chickens to dead ones fast.

By all means, if your chickens are in good health feed them treats and allow them to get a good percentage of their diet free ranging if you can. Not everyone is in that position.

 

[Shadrach]

Facebook, it’s got a lot to answer for.
You’ve had an account here for 6 years it seems. Why on earth would you take the advice of someone on Facebook in preference to all the advice and information that is available here?
Reading through the thread it seems you are still trying to mix various feeds and writing about feeding table scraps and a number of other additions to your feed.
You write you have a rooster, maybe more than one?
You also write you got at least the bulk of your hens last spring (?)
How old were the chickens you got in the Spring?

Normally, assuming you got chicks in the Spring, they are now pullets and as such they would not normally have a full molt in their first winter (this winter).
Normally, pullets that were chicks in the Spring will lay throughout their first winter. This is how some people maintain year round egg production; they breed/incubate/buy so that each winter they have some pullets in their first laying season which will continue throughout the winter.
If you do have roosters then layers feed is not a suitable feed for them; it contains too much calcium.
If you have pullets that are not old enough to lay eggs yet then layer feed is not suitable for them either, they don’t need the calcium.
If your pullets/hens (?) did lay eggs and then stopped there are as other people have mentioned probably other factors that have caused this, poor diet, stress and overcrowding are common factors.
Whatever the ages of your flock there is a very simple solution to feeding. Feed them all with a feed that contains at least 18% protein and no more than 1% calcium. Buy a calcium supplement such as Oyster shell and make it available at all times. Stop feeding corn, pepper, vegetables, kitchen scraps etc.
If you want to treat your fowl then buy some tinned tuna in oil (don’t buy tuna in brine (salt) because the extra salt isn’t good for them. Give them half a teaspoonful of tuna per fowl, roosters as well three times a week.
Remove any light you have put in the coop. Chickens are not machines and need a rest from laying if you want them to live long and healthy lives.
Final advice, cancel your face book account and spend more time on BYC.
It would be very helpful for all those who may try to advise you if you,
a) showed a picture of your coop and run and stated the dimensions.
b) checked to see how many hens and roosters you have and note this in a post
c) posted the ages within a month or so of your flock
d) gave some indication of your location and the current weather conditions.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Facebook, it’s got a lot to answer for.
You’ve had an account here for 6 years it seems. Why on earth would you take the advice of someone on Facebook in preference to all the advice and information that is available here?
Reading through the thread it seems you are still trying to mix various feeds and writing about feeding table scraps and a number of other additions to your feed.
You write you have a rooster, maybe more than one?
You also write you got at least the bulk of your hens last spring (?)
How old were the chickens you got in the Spring?

Normally, assuming you got chicks in the Spring, they are now pullets and as such they would not normally have a full molt in their first winter (this winter).
Normally, pullets that were chicks in the Spring will lay throughout their first winter. This is how some people maintain year round egg production; they breed/incubate/buy so that each winter they have some pullets in their first laying season which will continue throughout the winter.
If you do have roosters then layers feed is not a suitable feed for them; it contains too much calcium.
If you have pullets that are not old enough to lay eggs yet then layer feed is not suitable for them either, they don’t need the calcium.
If your pullets/hens (?) did lay eggs and then stopped there are as other people have mentioned probably other factors that have caused this, poor diet, stress and overcrowding are common factors.
Whatever the ages of your flock there is a very simple solution to feeding. Feed them all with a feed that contains at least 18% protein and no more than 1% calcium. Buy a calcium supplement such as Oyster shell and make it available at all times. Stop feeding corn, pepper, vegetables, kitchen scraps etc.
If you want to treat your fowl then buy some tinned tuna in oil (don’t buy tuna in brine (salt) because the extra salt isn’t good for them. Give them half a teaspoonful of tuna per fowl, roosters as well three times a week.
Remove any light you have put in the coop. Chickens are not machines and need a rest from laying if you want them to live long and healthy lives.
Final advice, cancel your face book account and spend more time on BYC.
It would be very helpful for all those who may try to advise you if you,
a) showed a picture of your coop and run and stated the dimensions.
b) checked to see how many hens and roosters you have and note this in a post
c) posted the ages within a month or so of your flock
d) gave some indication of your location and the current weather conditions.

Well said.

 

[imneva]

I think a straight feed intended for chickens with a higher amount of protein and some calcium would be best. No treats just feed.

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

Every now and then I will place 2-3 cans of Pate cat food out.
The chickens go nuts over it. I have 12 hens.
They can clean up a can easily in a few minutes.
I add oyster to their feed(layer crumbles).
Always water available.
Occasionally I will feed them some whole wheat bread. 3-4 slices, torn up.