Hens still not laying...

[vachicks]

I was thinking about putting a boiled egg in the nest box but I'm not sure if they would eat it. Also their nest box is in the top of the coop so they have to go up the ladder to it, I wonder if I should put one in the run. RIR's, I have had them for a month now, all combs are red, age is somewhere around 24 weeks, they free range for a few hours a day and I usually watch them so I would know if they laid somewhere outside, they have been on layer for over a month now.

 

[LarryPQ]

They will eat that boiled egg, and then you have egg eaters on your hands.

Try a few golf balls instead. What colors are their combs? Are they perhaps sneaky layers? Any pics?

You could try upping their protien intake--I bought 5 dozen eggs from Costco for $5. Suddenly I have a glut of pullet bullets. You can also use cat food (not dog, too salty), or gamebird feed.

 

[vachicks]

Quote:
I wondered if they would eat a boiled egg. thanks.

their combs are red, not sneaky I usually watch them while they are out and we have a small area so I would know if they did. I don't have pics I will see if I can get some.

you boiled the eggs for them? I guess I will give that a try I got a dozen the other day for .88$ maybe the are still on sale.

I give them quinoa, boss, oatmeal, flax seed, yesterday I gave them some black beans and rice they gobbled that up, I give them crushed egg shells, and oyster shell.

Yesterday 3 went up in the roosting area and I was hoping, but they just came back down w/o laying any eggs.

I have slacked off on the treats and just give them some in the a.m. thinking they should be eating more of the layer, I usually give 1/2 to 1 cup of treats for 4 birds so I don't give a lot and I usually mix like oatmeal and flax, not just all one treat.

 

[LarryPQ]

I scramble the eggs, toss the shells in the microwave, and once the cool, crunch them up into the eggs.

You don't want the eggs or shells to resemble eggs when you feed it to the chickens. Last thing you need is trained egg eaters

 

[vachicks]

Quote:
Great, thanks! I saw golf balls yesterday I should have picked them up but I was waiting to see a reply to my original post first. I will get some today.

I saw somewhere about a recipe with rice and some spices that were supposed to start them laying but can't find it again. . Also, do they make noises when they are laying their eggs?

I have only had a rooster before so I am very new to hens.

 

[LarryPQ]

Yup- they sing the "egg song"

Bawk buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck bakaawwwwwk!
Bawk buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck bakaawwwwwk!
Bawk buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck bakaawwwwwk!

All the hens will sing it together.

I would ignore the rice recipe--empty calories for a chicken. You could try picking up any "free samples" of cat food from the feed store---my store has big buckets of free samples. I am pretty sure I am the only one that takes them. The chickens prefer eggs, of course, but we can't always get what we want....

 

[vachicks]

I am getting some wooden eggs to put in the nests.

I fed them some tuna this morning they ate most of it, yesterday I fed them eggs and shells.

I see them laying down during the day and kind of rolling over on their sides not sure what they are doing, I might try putting a nest box in the run and see if that gets them laying, they rarely go up in the roost area during the day and that is where the nests are.

I thought having hens would be easy

I am thinking about getting some alfalfa forage, we are going to be gone Fri-Sun and that way they at least have something green to eat while we are gone, we have someone checking on their feed and water but I would rather them not let them out, they have to be watched or they will get in my gardens. Is there something else I could use other than the alfalfa, it is kind of expensive.

 

[LarryPQ]

The rolling over thing, if they are in the dirt, is them dust bathing. Chicks love hot baths.

I don't know about alfafa. Sorry-- usually I give them the greens from the garden. Today I pulled out a big cabbagy-ornamental thing and tossed it in the run. I think it was a type of purple cardoon. You can eat them, but I like them for pretties.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Laying on their sides...chances are they are sunbathing. Many of mine do that, the roos too.
Wouldn't hurt to put some kind of box on the floor, see if they will lay in that.
I have a friend that does very well with old cardboard boxes.
If they have food and water while you are gone, they don't really need anything else.

 

[vachicks]

Thanks! my girls are spoiled I let them out in the morning and evening to eat grass, since they don't eat bugs or worms, and they will stand at the door boking until I let them out.

I usually cut the grass dry it in the sun then put it in the run, maybe I can get some grass cut tomorrow if it doesn't rain too much. I saw someone else used alfalfa and thought it was a good idea.

Maybe I will get a big head of cabbage and put it in the run for them, that would be cheaper.

I am waiting until I get back to put a box in the run don't want them laying while we are gone - of course that is probably when they will start