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Cocktails with Chickens

In the Brooder
Oct 27, 2022
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Cocktails with chickens here: My husband was the chicken whisper. After he passed two years ago, I took over, with the help of my good neighbors, the care of "the girls." We had 6 backyard chickens but I lost 3 with the summer heat in Florida. I'm not real happy with the girls right now. They stopped laying when molting and have not begun to lay again. They get a good diet of oats, black sunflower seeds, corn, diatomaceous earth, pellets, grit and protein. I let them out of their coop early in the morning and they put themselves back in the coop when they're ready. They're almost 3 yrs old. Two have begun using the laying box to sleep. I block that off in the evening and remove in the morning. I take the food up every evening also. I check all their hideouts when roaming the yard for stray eggs. Never find any. It's too expensive to feed with no egg productions.
Any suggestions? Feeding them fermented food will not happen on my watch. Just saying.
 
Welcome to BYC. A lot of hens prefer sleeping in the nesting box when molting. At 3 yo, they are probably having a more difficult molt, than in the past. It is uncomfortable and disrupts their hormones, thus egg laying. It probably feels like the flu does to us humans. Have patience. Cut out oats and corn, stick with a good high quality layer feed or a grower feed. Keep oyster shell in a seperate, easy to access container. Good luck to you, and to your hens.
 
Welcome to BYC! Terribly sorry to here about the loss of your husband. I hope you're getting by ok. :hugs

A lot of chickens go through a very hard molt at the age of three. This is a likely reason for the shortage. It's also the time of year when daylight shortens and winter approaches. Most hens will stop during this time. To encourage laying in the winter, you can get lights for the coop.

The corn, oats, and sunflower seeds make good treats, but do not have to be part of their diet. You can stick to good layer/grower pellets and oysters. Diatomaceous earth is not good for chickens and can give the birds nasty respiratory problems. It'd be best to stop feeding it immediately.
 
Cocktails with Chickens said:
Cocktails with chickens here: My husband was the chicken whisper. After he passed two years ago, I took over, with the help of my good neighbors, the care of "the girls." We had 6 backyard chickens but I lost 3 with the summer heat in Florida. I'm not real happy with the girls right now. They stopped laying when molting and have not begun to lay again. They get a good diet of oats, black sunflower seeds, corn, diatomaceous earth, pellets, grit and protein. I let them out of their coop early in the morning and they put themselves back in the coop when they're ready. They're almost 3 yrs old. Two have begun using the laying box to sleep. I block that off in the evening and remove in the morning. I take the food up every evening also. I check all their hideouts when roaming the yard for stray eggs. Never find any. It's too expensive to feed with no egg productions.
Any suggestions? Feeding them fermented food will not happen on my watch. Just saying.
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Welcome to BYC!!
 

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