I FOUND OUT WHY MY HENS AREN'T LAYING!!!!!! :)

[spook]

I understand what you mean MissPrissy, my girls would love to have Pizza and will grab and run with any unsuspecting soul! Has happened too when we left a paper plate on the table, we actually had a fly by- white plate, white bread..and well you know the rest.
With the time changes, they are dealing with short days and moult, I certainly hope my girls begin laying SOON!!!!!!!!! Those anemic, cloudy, skimpy eggs you get from the store do not taste to great.

 

[cjeanean]

Quote:
Exactly what I was about to ask!!!

 

[MissPrissy]

It can be a couple weeks or as long as 3 - 4 months. It is an individual thing with them.

 

[Bec]

Oh no! I hope that isn't the case with mine! oh man!

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Quote:
I'll take your two and raise you 6....
Christina

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Hey Christina- I figured that was why your birds quit laying when we talked. The slw are molting now. Go figure right. Can we talk about 10:15 central time. You still be up? Let me know. I'll give you a call!


SARA

 

[Bandana]

Is there a way to influence moulting so they don't all do it at the same time?

 

[dancingbear]

I think the molt just happens when it happens. I know there are ways to "force molt", but I read it's hard on them. I'd rather just let nature take her course, and provide nutritional supplementation.

BTW, your new layers might very well continue to lay, even without extra light. I don't use artificial light in my coop at all, and my hens lay all winter. In fact, I often get more eggs in winter, because I don't have half the flock out on maternity leave. 14 hours a day of light is for PEAK egg production, but there are folks who have gotten the idea that hens won't lay at all without fake light in the winter. For most breeds, it just isn't true. Some will slow a bit, but not all. A very few are actually seasonal layers, but not many.

Mine are still molting, but they didn't all start in sync. A few are finished. Some are midway. Some have just started. I currently have 28 hens, about 8 are not point-of-lay yet. I know at least 2 or 3 are old and have stopped laying. One has a late clutch of chicks, and hasn't resumed laying. So say 16 active layers. I'm getting from 3 to 8 eggs per day, I think a few of the ones molting may be laying about once a week. I'm giving a little soybean meal mixed with the regular ration, they free range, and they get lots of scraps, and a little dry dog food and a little dry cat food, most days.

 

[lauralou]

It's hunting season, and I've been feeding my girls venison liver. We hate it. They love it. Works out well.

 

[MissPrissy]

Excellent feed choice , Laura.

All of the meat peices we do not eat get cycled into animal feed.