- Aug 14, 2016
- 20
- 12
- 92
Hi! I'm new to the group but I've used BYC as a resource many times. You all are a wealth of knowledge! Which is why I'm asking for help today... We have 4 chickens in total, but 2 of them aren't laying. They're a healthy cross between a White Rock egg-layer type female and a Rhode Island Red male. They're under a year old; we got them this past spring. I've read the forums about why hens don't lay, but I still can't figure it out. They look healthy. Eating and drinking. Very social. We give them organic laying pellets and scraps from the kitchen.
Recently we got a new dog, but we don't let the dog off the leash. She did get out a few times and chased after the chickens. Could they be stressed just having a change to the environment?
It's also been terribly hot here, 100 degrees, but the other two are laying. And there were cooler days with still no eggs.
The only other thing I can think of is diet. They do get into the compost but that's a good thing, right? Could they be getting things in the compost that aren't good for them? Or eating too much compost when they should be eating more feed?
Thanks for any thoughts you can offer.
~Jana
Recently we got a new dog, but we don't let the dog off the leash. She did get out a few times and chased after the chickens. Could they be stressed just having a change to the environment?
It's also been terribly hot here, 100 degrees, but the other two are laying. And there were cooler days with still no eggs.
The only other thing I can think of is diet. They do get into the compost but that's a good thing, right? Could they be getting things in the compost that aren't good for them? Or eating too much compost when they should be eating more feed?
Thanks for any thoughts you can offer.
~Jana
. Happy to have you with us. A stressful event - likes the dogs, as well as heat can really reduce laying. But it seems like they should have recovered by now - particularly if the other two are laying. So I'm stumped. 
. You might try posting in the link below for more advice. Good luck to you! 
