Hi from Washington

[lynderj]

Hello there. I've have 4 of my girls for 2 years and 1 for almost a year. I live in the middle of a city and have a decent size backyard. Due to the fact that of were i live, i don't feel comfortable leaving them out when I'm not home and i can't have a rooster. I feel like this makes them unhappy and i have never gotten many eggs. I've tried treats (their favorite is apples) grubs, and letting them out when ever i can. Any more tips for me?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Welcome to BYC!
Do you know what breed your chickens are? If not, you can post some photos of them here and we can likely get them ID'd for you. Knowing what they are is going to factor into the expected egg production rate for each bird.
You mentioned you've had them 1 and 2 years, were they chicks when you got them or were they already grown birds? Like breed, age will effect the expected egg production as the first two laying cycles of a bird's life are their most prolific (the first is from the time they strart laying around 6 months of age until the first molt around 18 months and the second is when they resume laying after that molt (often not until the following spring) to the second molt (the following fall).
When they aren't able to be loose in the large yard, do you have a run that they are confined in or are you confining them inside the actual coop structure at those times? If the latter, how many hours per day, on average, are they confined like that? What are the dimensions, in feet, of the coop and, if you have one, run?
What feed are you giving them? Diet is another factor that can significantly impact the production of a given bird.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. You have some very good feedback from OGM. Believe me, your girls are much happier without a rooster. With them being so few, they would be relentlessly mated, lose their back feathers and be miserable.

Best wishes
CT

 

[Spookwriter]

As my friends have said, there are any number of things that impact
the egg laying.

If you said it, I missed it. How many hens do you have? (5?) and how
many eggs a day, a week?


Spook

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[lynderj]

The 4 I've had longer I got when they were about 1 yeah old and the 1 I got when she was just a chick. I think the 4 are lace dots and I'm not sure of the other. I get Purina scratch grain and Purina layer feed. On the weekends they are out most of the day week days they are out for an hour to 5 hours depending on the time of year. And they stay in the coop.

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under lynderj

Welcome!

I have 5 bantams in a suburban back yard and I think they would be very unhappy to be relentlessly hounded by an amorous rooster.

My gals also free range in the garden all day but because of moulting and broodiness, from 5 hens we have had no eggs since 31st March and even then only one of them was laying.

I am currently buying eggs to scramble and feed to them! Yeah, I know

Anyways, what I am trying to get at is that do not feel that they are unhappy just because they are not laying eggs; as Ol Grey Mare and Spook have mentioned, there are other factors that could be at play. My freeloaders are quite happy!

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.