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

[ruth]

Black oil sunflower seeds, shell and all are a great source of protein and other nutrients. I feed it to my entire flock year round. My flock also get scrambled or boiled egg on a regular basis since we can't eat or sell all the eggs they lay and they love shredded cheese. I believe, in addition to freeranging, they need all the extra protein.

As far as the light method for keeping them laying - I'm against it. I think it messes up their natural systems. There's a reason God designed them to take a break from laying. I feel bad lately that I have bins full of babies in the coop and their heat lamp is keeping everyone awake all night. I can peek in the coop and they are moving about, and eating, and squabbling with one another. Heard two roos fighting one night and they never fight. I'm about to move the babies into the tack room.

Grown hens, like grown women, need their beauty sleep.

 

[digitS']

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Is your feed Honor Country Flock layer supplement, Silkiechicken?

Steve

 

[the1much]

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thats exactly what i thought was gonna be the answer

 

[ruth]

MissPrissy is right - they are omnivores and need protein from a meat source. If yours can't freerange you can buy crickets at the bait shop. Mine love those and it's $3 of the cheapest entertainment. Try tossing just one down or dump them all out - either way it's hilarious. The babies love the crickets too.

 

[eggzettera]

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[gritsar]

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I'm right there with you Ruth! Getting the eggs is nice, but the well being of my birds is more important. The world's not going to come to an end just because you get less eggs.

 

[cjeanean]

I know that all 54 of my chickens will be wanting the treats, so I think I'll go with the least expensive of the options. I've never bought cat food so I don't know how much it'll be, but I know hubby has a bunch of catfish fillets in the freezer that he doesn't know how to cook, so I can give them that. I have some packaged salmon too....I hate that stuff and it's just been sitting around. They're not earning their keep right now, so whatever's cheap sounds good to me!!!! I have 23 hens that are just now starting to lay, I'm getting a few eggs a day from all of them, and I don't know if it'll screw everything up to cut their light all the sudden. And now I have two suggestion on here about the light: one says cut it and the other says don't

LOL! Thanks, everyone!! Any more suggestions/advice???

 

[cjeanean]

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LOL, no, the world won't end....but the money that I use to feed the chickens sure will!!!

LOL!

 

[Wildsky]

I only had two hens molting a little while ago - out of a flock of 17, so everyone got more MEAT. I threw out more left overs with meat for them, and one day they got a can of tuna to share (greedy pigs - the bowl was CLEAN before I put it down)

 

[gritsar]

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LOL, no, the world won't end....but the money that I use to feed the chickens sure will!!!

LOL!

Oh I am totally sympathetic to your situation. I'm just blessed that it's not an issue for us. Every situation is different and everyone has to do what is best for their chickens and their families.