its almost summer and hens still aint laying

[chickybuddy100]

Hi...can u please be kind and help me .....my hens haven't been laying for a couple of weeks and I Dont know why
..there not molting ...I give them oyster shells ...I cleaned there nesting boxes ...what should I do ...its almost the end on spring ..

I've been driving my self crazy...there 2 yrs old ...almost 3

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi...can u please be kind and help me .....my hens haven't been laying for a couple of weeks and I Dont know why
..there not molting ...I give them oyster shells ...I cleaned there nesting boxes ...what should I do ...its almost the end on spring ..

I've been driving my self crazy...there 2 yrs old ...almost 3

So, they were laying up until a couple of weeks ago and then stopped? What breeds are the hens? How many eggs were you getting per week prior to the recent stoppage? What feed are you giving them? Do they have access to lots of clean, fresh water? Have you examined them for any signs of internal or external parasites which could be stressing their system? Do you have any photos of them you can post?

 

[chickybuddy100]

...

So, they were laying up until a couple of weeks ago and then stopped?  What breeds are the hens?  How many eggs were you getting per week prior to the recent stoppage?  What feed are you giving them?  Do they have access to lots of clean, fresh water?  Have you examined them for any signs


Here's some more info ...im going to take some pics now ...they have clean water...there production reds...I was getting 4 eggs from 4 hens then within a week they stopped laying ....I give them layer pellets mixed with whole corn and bird seed ... The guy at the farm store said birdseed was good so I mix that..can u tell me how I could examine them for parasites...I've never had to do that before ..I've only had them for 6 months they were close to 2 yrs when I got them ...they are almost 3 yrs

 

[chickybuddy100]

The forth hens taking a dust bath under the shed but here's 3 and a rooseter @Ol Grey Mare

 

[Nupe]

Your chickens are probably not laying due to poor nutrition. The guy at the farm store is just plain wrong. Layer pellets are a complete feed and the hens wouldn't really need anything else. Corn and bird seed can be used as a treat and should take up no more than 5-10% of their diets. Otherwise, it provides very little nutrition and very low protein. If the pellets and seed are both available, the chickens, like little children, will choose the treat over the healthy food. Oyster shell is a good supplement to have available to them since it looks like they get to free range a bit. Speaking of free ranging, is it possible they're laying eggs somewhere they're not suppose to?

 

[fiveidahoboys]

I've got the same question as nupe, are they laying somewhere else? Recently one of my chickens started laying outside while free ranging. At first I thought maybe she wa getting ready to moult or there wassome other reason she suddenly stopped laying. But then I Noticed the days I kept her locked up all day she still laid an egg. So I knew that she was laying outside. My son found the eggs last week, nine of them underneath an old parked car. Since then she has not laid in the nest box once. I don't mind as long as I know where they are. And then yesterday she talked one of my other hens into joining her. And today the third also. So now all of my chickens are laying in a nest outside of the nesting box. I'm not going to do anything about it as of now since we are in the process of building a new coop and will have to retrain them anyways.

 

[chickybuddy100]

I've got the same question as nupe, are they laying somewhere else? Recently one of my chickens started laying outside while free ranging. At first I thought maybe she wa getting ready to moult or there wassome other reason she suddenly stopped laying. But then I Noticed the days I kept her locked up all day she still laid an egg. So I knew that she was laying outside. My son found the eggs last week, nine of them underneath an old parked car. Since then she has not laid in the nest box once. I don't mind as long as I know where they are. And then yesterday she talked one of my other hens into joining her. And today the third also. So now all of my chickens are laying in a nest outside of the nesting box. I'm not going to do anything about it as of now since we are in the process of building a new coop and will have to retrain them anyways.

Your chickens are probably not laying due to poor nutrition. The guy at the farm store is just plain wrong. Layer pellets are a complete feed and the hens wouldn't really need anything else. Corn and bird seed can be used  as a treat and should take up no more than 5-10% of their diets. Otherwise, it provides very little nutrition and very low protein. If the pellets and seed are both available, the chickens, like little children, will choose the treat over the healthy food. Oyster shell is a good supplement to have available to them since it looks like they get to free range a bit. Speaking of free ranging, is it possible they're laying eggs somewhere they're not suppose to? 

I've checked everywhere for eggs in their favorite places in the yard but nothing.....when im not home there in the coop because we have a fox around....so one day I want here all day and they were closed in the coop ...(with a run of course ) I looked in the nest box and still nothing...they werent in the run either ..that's when I started to worry...since then I haven't gotten any eggs ..even on busy days that there not outside...which I do say that rarely happens ...I've looked in bushes...under the shed were they take dust baths ...by my rabbit pens...by the garden...I just Dont know why there not laying ...unless they have a secret spot I Dont know about

 

[Nupe]

Then I would go back to believing it is a diet issue. Stop feeding the corn and birdseed for a while. Your girls may be spoiled and protest a bit but don't give in. They will eventually eat their food. You might want to switch back to a grower feed, game bird feed or high protein flock raiser until they are laying again as they have no other way to rid themselves of the excess calcium. I don't know where you are but my local feed store is a Southern States dealer which carries a fairly inexpensive feed called Rock-N-Rooster. I'm sure most feed stores carry something similar. Its just a 20% protein complete feed. I give it to my flock so I have more room for fodder, treats and spoiling and offer oyster shell and grit on the side.

 

[chickybuddy100]

...

Then I would go back to believing it is a diet issue. Stop feeding the corn and birdseed for a while. Your girls may be spoiled and protest a bit but don't give in. They will eventually eat their food. You might want to switch back to a grower feed, game bird feed or high protein flock raiser until they are laying again as they have no other way to rid themselves of the excess calcium. I don't know where you are but my local feed store is a Southern States dealer which carries a fairly inexpensive feed called Rock-N-Rooster. I'm sure most feed stores carry something similar. Its just a 20% protein complete feed. I give it to my flock so I have more room for fodder, treats and spoiling and offer oyster shell and grit on the side.
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Thanks...ill head to tsc tommorow because were low on feed anyway ...thanks for the advice...I thought whole corn was good mixed with their feed but know I know it was a bad descision

 

[aart]

Ditto on the nutrition....but... 3 year old production reds are going to be in sharp decline with laying, they lay alot in the first couple years, then not so much .