My chickens will not lay eggs.

[jfarrell1220]

I am new to the chicken world.. I acquired a rooster and two hens. My rooster is around seven months and one hen is nine months and one is around ten months. We have a coop in our backyard. We built boxes for them and lined it with straw. We have had no eggs. One of the hens that we got was laying before. we gave her a month and now she is not laying either. We do not know what is wrong. I need help..

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

Do you have an enclosed run for them or do they free range? Maybe they are laying their eggs somewhere else.

 

[jfarrell1220]

We let them out of the coop during the day and I watched to see where they usually sit and I went and searched back there and I could not find any..

 

[dsqard]

There are many factors that may have stopped egg laying for a while. First of all, are you sure that one of the hens was laying eggs before you got her? Some hens take longer to mature. I just got my first egg the other day from an almost eight month old pullet. It just takes longer for some of them to start. In fact from what I have read on here it is better for them to be a little older before they start laying since internal egg laying happens more often in hens that started laying really young. Second, they may still be adjusting from the move. Third the days are getting shorter so that can affect egg laying as well. You could try supplementing the amount of light they get in a day by putting a light in the coop. One last thing that could be happening is that they could be moulting although if they are all under a year old that is not probable. Just keep feeding them layer food and see how it goes. Hope this helps!

 

[jfarrell1220]

I have been feeding them corn and they eat around the yard as well.. Should I be feeding them something else? I feed them the other stuff in the beginning. We had a chicken get killed in the coop 5 months ago could that affect it?

 

[dsqard]

I would get real layer feed for them. The corn will not have enough protien and vitamins in it for continual egg development. The layer feed will also have the additional calcium that the hens will need to make the shells for the eggs. A 50 lb bag at the store is usually not very expensive and will last you a long time. The rooster can eat the same feed as the hens. BTW corn is good for them as a treat especially now that the weather is getting colder. Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) is also good as a treat as it will give them additional protien. Free ranging is always good but again since we are getting into the colder months, there is less and less to find out there to eat. I do not think that the birds would be upset by something that happened in the coop five months ago unless the predator is now coming back and disturbing the new chickens. That could also be causing your lack of eggs.

 

[vnploveschickens]

Hi, Congratulations on getting your first chickens. It is very exciting!

If they are on just corn, they are not getting enough nutrition.

Try to get a good grower (starter) feed, or something like Purina Flock Raiser which has 20% good protein. Its good for te cockeral too.
Don't forget to put out oyster shell in a separate bowl for calcium. The pullets are smart enough to know when they need to eat it.

Let us know how your chickens do!

 

[jfarrell1220]

We fixed the coop so nothing else would get in, because we live in the middle of the woods. But they should at least be laying right? We just want the eggs to eat.

 

[dsqard]

The only thing you can count on when it comes to egg laying is that they will do it when they are ready.

I would see if something has been around the coop/run at night. The stress of a predator trying to get in could make them stop laying as well.

 

[Heartlandrabbitry]

Quote:
Would rats make chickens stress out? We of course live in a very wooded area and have rats, and our chickens haven't been laying for maybe three months. Just built them a new coop and they still aren't laying!