My hens should be laying...but they're not!

[Mini Meat]

My neighbor has a coop and covered run that is oriented with its back side towards the sun. She has to keep a light year round because, while it is light enough outside it is too dim inside the coop and run.

Is here ample brightness inside the coop and run itself?

 

[Kristen61607]

You say you "feed" them. What exactly does this mean? Do you have free choice food and water accessible for them 24/7? Or do you feed and water them at a certain time, then they go for periods without nothing? I did the latter for a couple months and got 3 eggs a day. Now that I switched to the free choice food and water, they lay 9 a day. Just a thought. 

Free choice. They have food and water accessible 24/7 and always have.

 

[Kristen61607]

Agrees with going back to a basics...a higher protein feed, water, oyster shells in a separate container, and nothing else.

What does this mean ..."[COLOR=333333] a clean, dry coop with diatomaceous earth...."[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]How big is the coop(feet by feet)?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]How and how much DE are you applying?[/COLOR]

Oh gosh... I suppose i could measure!! Not sure on dimensions honestly. And i just sprinkle a bit of de on top of their shavings once a week or so

 

[Kristen61607]

This is one side of their pen ( those are my pullets... Not the ones im concerned about obviousy! )

 

[Kristen61607]

Hmmm, having trouble loading pics!!! Or id post some of my set up.

 

[Kristen61607]

Ok hopefully this works. The blue shed is their coop, the chain link fence portion is their run. They can go in and out as they please. They have access to food and water both inside AND outside 24/7.

 

[Kristen61607]

Here are some more views of their set up. I don't know, I think it's pretty nice! I would like to live here if i was a chicken! lol! We also have 15 pullets that were introduced recently (but very gradually). But they weren't laying way before I introduced the pullets so I know that's not it. It's bright, sunny, there's a window in the back of the coop for extra light as well.

 

[Kristen61607]

Probably is enough light, im a world away from you though.

Some would call 20% a meat bird food, and some meat bird is 20%. Personally, i use purina flock raiser which is a 20% protein all flock feed, ok for hens, roosters, ducks, etc. It doesnt have the added calcium suplaments that layer rations do. You do not have to use that specific feed, you may have a local brand by another name. Since you are using oyster shell you dont really need a specific layer ration anyway. They will use the oyster shell as needed, when fed in this manner. Once you make a switch on feed leave it alone for a while and let them adjust. Is anything harassing them through their pen that could be atressing them?

Ok thanks. i'm going to go to the store tomorrow to pick up a 20% protein food for them. and will obviously keep their oyster shell free choice. Cant hurt to try, It's not like I'm getting any eggs now anyways! lol!

I really don't think anything is harassing them, but I suppose I'm not positive. Our dog comes over every so often but just sort of walks past. I have 3 young kids who fool around a lot and like to look at the chickens, but they never go in the coop or pen because the rooster is mean towards humans.And the kids were here before the chickens so I'd imagine they'd be used to them!

But I'm going to make an effort to have us all leave them alone more. I'll go down once or twice a day to replenish food and water but I'm going to try and keep things as low stress as possible for a while. thank you so much for the help! Fingers crossed!

 

[aart]

It is a nice setup...I'd guess that building is maybe 10x12'?
But they only have half of it, so coop is maybe 6x10'?

Gonna be tight with 23 birds in there.
Doesn't look like much ventilation when the door's closed....but I don't know you climate/location.

Aaaaanyway, could be the light off in Feb, molt, moving, new birds stacked up to ongoing stresses....could be the reason they are not laying?
Could just be those birds are not prolific layers after their first year.....I've got a few of those.

 

[Kristen61607]

It is a nice setup...I'd guess that building is maybe 10x12'?
But they only have half of it, so coop is maybe 6x10'?

Gonna be tight with 23 birds in there.
Doesn't look like much ventilation when the door's closed....but I don't know you climate/location.

Aaaaanyway, could be the light off in Feb, molt, moving, new birds stacked up to ongoing stresses....could be the reason they are not laying?
Could just be those birds are not prolific layers after their first year.....I've got a few of those.

They have about 2/3 of the shed. Honestly they spend the vast majority of their time outside. They only go in to roost pretty much and there are a lot of roosting branches. There is ventilation in the coop.... there are openings where the roof meets the walls if that makes sense. I also leave the door open when I'm home for extra airflow but like I said they are really hardly in there since they seem to prefer being outside and pecking around in the grass. But I also live in upstate NY so it's not hot here. Like today it's 55.

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to give them until the end of the summer to see what happens. If still no eggs from them when the pullets start laying then they might be going