Hen stopped laying

[TVidrine]

I've been raising quail for some time but am new to chickens. I purchased a mature rooster, 9 month old laying hen, and 3 young hens not yet laying.

For the first 14 days the hen laid an egg a day, skipped 2 days, laid 2, and hasn't laid since, about 10 days.

Nothing has changed in available grass or feed. Any ideas on what may have caused her to stop all of a sudden?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Any kind of stress can stop ovulation as well as many other things.
What are they fed? Did you change the feed from what they were eating before you bought them?
Chickens don't eat much grass.

 

[TVidrine]

Any kind of stress can stop ovulation as well as many other things.
What are they fed? Did you change the feed from what they were eating before you bought them?
Chickens don't eat much grass.

I feed the 22% nutrena laying pellets and crushed corn. My understanding from the previous owner is they were only getting crushed corn.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Only fed cracked corn, they were deprived of essential amino acids. I'm surprised she was laying at all. 22% is very high but I assume the feeding instructions are to mix it with grain.

 

[TVidrine]

Only fed cracked corn, they were deprived of essential amino acids. I'm surprised she was laying at all. 22% is very high but I assume the feeding instructions are to mix it with grain.

What would you recommend feeding?

 

[aart]

I feed the 22% nutrena laying pellets and crushed corn.

Are these mixed at a certain ratio.....or fed separately?
Do you free range?

and 3 young hens not yet laying.

How old in weeks are these pullets?


FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.

 

[littlebarngirl]

Is she free ranging a bit each day? My girls lay more consistently when they get out to wander outback.

 

[TVidrine]

Are these mixed at a certain ratio.....or fed separately?
Do you free range?

They are kept in a chicken tractor that is moved daily. The feed is mixed 50/50.

How old in weeks are these pullets?

As per original owner, they should be about 15 weeks now.

 

[TVidrine]

Is she free ranging a bit each day? My girls lay more consistently when they get out to wander outback.

They have not free ranged. My original plan was to give them a couple weeks to get comfortable here then begin letting them out in the evenings. Guess I need to start

 

[littlebarngirl]

They have not free ranged. My original plan was to give them a couple weeks to get comfortable here then begin letting them out in the evenings. Guess I need to start

Sounds like a perfect time to start.