Lazy cluckers!

[Lute]

Ages ago I had a small flock and had to get rid of them due to moving to an apartment in the city.

Now I'm back with a new, significantly smaller flock. I have 3 EEs that are now 38 weeks old and no signs of laying! Lazy suckers!

--I feed them a commercial 16% feed (as soon as I'm out I'm buying 22%) with plenty of treats and fresh water.
--They have free reign of the yard much of the time and they are very good about putting themselves to bed when it starts to get dark.
--It hasn't been particularly cold lately.
--They have a solar light in their coop.

Any advice?

-Lute
Albuquerque NM

 

[Welshies]

Treats should only make up 10% of all feed. Human treats like vegetables and fruits have a lot of water content, unlike natural forage.
Feed an all-flock or maintenance feed (18-20%). Layer feed fed to non laying birds can be harmful, and slow down their development.
Provide a free choice side of oyster shell.
How long is your solar light on?

 

[Lute]

The treats are occasional, like once a week. I feel that's plenty. It's a mix of Sorghum, Black Oil sunflower seeds, and another seed I don't remember. It was a mix I created for our wild birds for over winter but they appear to all have left. So the chickens have been getting them.

They are currently tearing up my tomato garden (get those grubs!!) and just this afternoon I found one nesting in it. Could be close?

I'll pick up Maintenance Feed and Oyster, thanks for the suggestion!

The solar light is dim (it's a rope light) but stays on until about 8pm-ish. I'm not really sure, now that I think about it. I'll keep an eye on it tonight and time it.

It's been cold at night lately (lower 30s at night, randomly 50s-60s during the day). I don't need a heat lamp for them, do I?

 

[Welshies]

The treats are occasional, like once a week. I feel that's plenty. It's a mix of Sorghum, Black Oil sunflower seeds, and another seed I don't remember. It was a mix I created for our wild birds for over winter but they appear to all have left. So the chickens have been getting them.

They are currently tearing up my tomato garden (get those grubs!!) and just this afternoon I found one nesting in it. Could be close?

I'll pick up Maintenance Feed and Oyster, thanks for the suggestion!

The solar light is dim (it's a rope light) but stays on until about 8pm-ish. I'm not really sure, now that I think about it. I'll keep an eye on it tonight and time it.

It's been cold at night lately (lower 30s at night, randomly 50s-60s during the day). I don't need a heat lamp for them, do I?

Gosh no! It is minus 29°C here currently. We had a low of -47°C (-52°F) last week, and my adults are fine without heat.

 

[Lute]

I figured they'd be fine since the coop is pretty tightly built. My last flock was fine when we had snow but it's been a pretty dry winter... and year and a half.