HELP My Hens Will Not Lay!!!!!!!

[cackleberrycoop]

I don't know if you're leaving it on all night or not, but that can really throw the girls off and lead to some unpleasant side effects. A timer makes all the difference for us here. Last year I tried fora while to plug it in at 4:00 every night myself and then unplug it before I went to bed. I forgot sometime, either to turn it on or off, or did them at different times. When we finally got it on a timer that comes on at 4:00 every evening and goes off at 11:00 at night, well, wow, what a difference!! I know a lot of people prefer to have the timer go off in the early am hrs, but we haven't have any problem with the light being on when they find their way into the coop at night.

 

[bigg]

okay thanks for the help i will deffinately do that tonight ive been leavig it on 24-7. There might be a problem with doing that because i have a silkie banty with her newly hatched babies, like they are still hatching right now, on the same circuit. So should i just bring her and her babies in tomorow or what?

 

[Peachesbabychick]

Hi, yes chickens take time off. They deserve it don't they? Anyways, try putting some golf balls in the nest boxes, this stimulates them. Oh and give them some yummies, such as yogurt, bread, tablescraps, even catfood! I always get more eggs when they get more goodies!

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

 

[Chinchilla2]

Age and breed can also affect when you get eggs in addition to the time of year. How old and what breeds are the ones you think are not laying?

 

[Ariel301]

As the days get very short this time of year compared to the nights, it is very normal for chickens to take some time off, especially if they are "heritage" type breeds as opposed to the high-efficiency "super layers" like white Leghorns and commercial type sexlinks, which are higher volume layers. When the days start to lengthen again around January, they ought to start again.

Birds that are molting usually stop laying for a month or two, sometimes more.

If they are older birds (2 or older, depending on breed, the "super layers" tend to wear out faster I think) they start to lay with less frequency and take more breaks. I had some 6 year old Orpingtons and they were still laying, but only about two eggs each a week, and took frequent breaks.

There are some tricks to get them going again; you've tried some. The best one is tricking them into thinking the days are longer with lights on a timer to give them about 14 hours of light a day. Increasing the protein in their diet might also help, especially if they have been through a molt.

 

[bigg]

Half of my rir 1 1/2 arent laying along with my black sex link about 2 1/2, red star 1 1/2, White leghorn 2, and sillver gray dorking 9 months. They also get plenty of goodies like fresh grass that i grow in pans, apples and pears, and bread.

 

[bigg]

Quote:
Do you have any tricks you yourself use?

 

[DebbieDee]

I have heard from so many folks that Happy hens lay eggs. If they have plenty of food,treats and water and a draft,dry place to sleep and maybe some daily scratch. I give all my table and cooking scraps to the girls. They have plenty of space to rummage. Happy Happy is the key....Occasionally I will open a can of corn and feed it to them.They love it.

 

[bigg]

Do you think a should fix the draft it gets pretty cold here in Tennessee.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
That light on 24/7 is pretty fundamental. I would absolutely start there. Light programs the hens.

Boy, asking about fixing the draft is opening a can of worms (I have learned from experience....). I love air flow through the coops, air movement that brings the ammonia out of the air that the birds breath. However, too much draft also stirs up dust and whatnot and can lead to other respiratory issues. Here's what I like to have going on in my winter coop - plenty of air vents, up high. My coop is a converted mobile home, so most of the windows are lower than I want them - open they cause a draft to move right over the chickens, which is hard on them and of course the combs can freeze as a result. So I have learned, through much fiddling and rearranging, how to set up straw bales throughout the rooms to create sheltered areas where the birds can roost together and create warmth, protected from the drafts coming in the windows, but the coop is FAR from sealed up tight, and I don't heat the coops. We rarely get below -20 degrees though, so if you do there in Tennessee, then you might want to talk to locals and see how they have handled the bitter cold. Now, not every longtime poultry raiser out there agrees with this idea of winter housing, so it's a good idea to talk to others and see what makes sense to you. Also, I should add that we do get horrid wind storms through here somewhat frequently, and i do close up the windows during those.

Good luck!