Layena crumbles causing problems?

[JakesMama]

Hi, recently I switched my hens to the Layena crumbles and things have since gone haywire. I have 9 hens, but only 4 are laying so far. I was feeding them Layena pellets and everything was great, I switched because I felt it would be easier for them to eat. I pretty much had 4 eggs a day (give or take since some took a day of rest), the pecking order was doing good and everything was calm. Now that I switched, I noticed that egg production has gone awry and the boss ladies seem to be a tad bit meaner to the point where they kick some other ladies out of the coop to sleep in the run at night. My layers are 2 white Leghorns, 1 barred rock and 1 red sex-link. For the last week, I have only been finding 1 white egg that is very small and a tad misshapen (usually they lay medium eggs, that were getting bigger as they grew up more), and both brown eggs are noticeably smaller (very unusual for the sex-link, her eggs are normally very large).
They are fed and watered each morning and are checked again each afternoon for egg collecting and another water change if necessary. They are never without food (and oyster shell), but since I switched, they act as if they haven't eaten in a week! The moment I start filling their food tray back up, the fight and squabble to eat. Also, they eat so fast that food either goes up their nose or down the wrong tube and most start coughing/sneezing like crazy!
After this bag is gone, I'm switching back to the pellets. But, I was just wondering if somebody else has had this experience with the crumbles?? I figured it was the same food, just crushed up

 

[chfite]

No experience, but I can imagine that there would be trouble trying to get them to change from pellets to crumbles. Pieces are too small. They may think all they have is dust to eat.

Chris

 

[akb77]

I don't use that brand, but I too switched from pellets to crumbles and my egg production dropped. I went from 12 a day to 4 to 1 a day. I just bought pellets again and I am hoping my egg count goes back up. Here's to hoping!!!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Do you have any idea if they are actually eating the same amount of food weight wise, not throwing it out? So far as I know also, the formulas are the same, so it would almost have to be that they are not actually eating the crumbles, unless there is something wrong with the crumbles or hens. I do know that with crumbles I have a lot more waste, and that my larger hens especially do seem to like pellets better.

 

[jimmywalt]

I have the same problem going from 4 eggs per day to only 2 (with 5 chickens) since I switched from CRUMBLES to PELLETS (the opposite direction as you).

I'm wondering if it's just the time of year, the days getting shorter and getting cooler here in Michigan. Hopefully my production will pick up.

I can't tell if 2 chickens have just STOPPED laying or if they are just laying every other day. Seems odd though to go from 4 eggs a day to only 2 (and this has been going on for about 2 weeks).

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Don't forget when the molt sets in that your hens are growing a new set of duds and egg production naturally drops.

 

[JakesMama]

No experience, but I can imagine that there would be trouble trying to get them to change from pellets to crumbles. Pieces are too small. They may think all they have is dust to eat.

Chris

Hmmm, that could be. I was kind of surprised at how small the crumbles really were. I would say most of it is just as small or smaller than chick starter. I guess I was expecting something maybe half the size of the pellet.

 

[JakesMama]

I don't use that brand, but I too switched from pellets to crumbles and my egg production dropped. I went from 12 a day to 4 to 1 a day. I just bought pellets again and I am hoping my egg count goes back up. Here's to hoping!!!

I hope it helps! I'm definitely changing back to pellets. I'm still "new" to chickens, I've only had them since March, so this was a learning experience!

 

[JakesMama]

Do you have any idea if they are actually eating the same amount of food weight wise, not throwing it out? So far as I know also, the formulas are the same, so it would almost have to be that they are not actually eating the crumbles, unless there is something wrong with the crumbles or hens. I do know that with crumbles I have a lot more waste, and that my larger hens especially do seem to like pellets better.

Well, I haven't noticed any waste, but I have sand/dirt I got from the desert so I probably wouldn't notice. The crumbles tend to be the same color as the dirt, lol. I'm hoping to get a different type of feeder soon, I keep catching the smaller ones getting in the feeder and scratching around, so I guess there could be some waste. Also, I know with the pellets they didn't act like they were starving to death.

 

[JakesMama]

I have the same problem going from 4 eggs per day to only 2 (with 5 chickens) since I switched from CRUMBLES to PELLETS (the opposite direction as you).

I'm wondering if it's just the time of year, the days getting shorter and getting cooler here in Michigan. Hopefully my production will pick up.

I can't tell if 2 chickens have just STOPPED laying or if they are just laying every other day. Seems odd though to go from 4 eggs a day to only 2 (and this has been going on for about 2 weeks).

That's strange, maybe a lot could be from the stress of changing the type of food? Our night temps here in Reno are starting to dip into the mid 40s, so I guess it could be the change in the season as well. I hope it doesn't really affect it too much, I still have 5 ladies that haven't started laying yet, lol.

Don't forget when the molt sets in that your hens are growing a new set of duds and egg production naturally drops.

I never thought about molt. I know it happens, but I didn't know it could affect egg laying. Do you know at what age it happens? Three of my girls I definitely know were born in March. The other 6, I'm not sure because they were dumped and I rescued them. I would guess they're a few weeks to a month older than the 3 (except for the little leghorn, she's maybe 2 months younger than everybody else), so I would just say they're all about 6 months old, give or take. Does it happen to all chickens at the same time of year? Last year while visiting a pumpkin patch, they put up a sign by the chickens saying they were all going through their molt (to explain why they looked so rough, lol!!) Since it's getting that time of year, I was just wondering is Fall is the molting time or if it can happen anytime.