Nicki Payne

[josie555]

Thank you for welcoming into the BYC forum. what type of chickens do you have? I have my three bantams but at the moment they have stopped laying, I know that do not lay as often as large hens and wonder if I am doing something wrong. Do you what things could stop them laying? Any advice would be appreciated
Nicki

 

[Michael OShay]

Thank you for welcoming into the BYC forum. what type of chickens do you have? I have my three bantams but at the moment they have stopped laying, I know that do not lay as often as large hens and wonder if I am doing something wrong. Do you what things could stop them laying? Any advice would be appreciated
Nicki

There are a number of factors that can cause hens to stop laying.
Stress can be a big factor. Are your bantams being picked on by your standard sized breeds? Also, moving them, water shortage, and a scare from a predator are common causes of stress.
Insufficient light can cause chickens to stop laying. Chickens ideally need 14-16 hours of light per day.
Very cold weather can cause chickens to stop laying. Having less body mass, bantams are more susceptible to this than many larger breeds.
Incorrect diet can cause chickens to stop laying. Fat hens don’t lay eggs! Feeding too much mixed corn for example will cause excess weight and provide insufficient protein. You can read some more detailed information on this at Feeding Chickens
Age is a factor a hen's rate of lay. Hens lay less as they get older.
Health plays a major role in a hen's rate of lay. Poor general health can stop them laying. Red Mite in the coop feeding from them at night is a common cause of anemia in hens. Disease can affect the quality of eggs as well as laying ability.
Moulting causes hens to stop laying. Feathers are 80% protein so during feather growth, protein is diverted from egg production.
Broodiness also causes hens to stop laying. When they are broody, hens will sit on a nest and will stop laying for 5 to 10 weeks.
I would suggest running through this checklist of reasons why hens stop laying and see if any of them apply to your bantams.
Good luck with your bantams laying again soon. )

 

[josie555]

Hi Michael, I do feed my bantams a small handful of corn in the evening before they go to bed so perhaps I should stop that, also do bantams part moult as there are a few feathers in the coop or could they have red mite? I clean the coop weekly as well as mini poo pick ups every day and occasionally see some mites near the end of the slot of their perch for which I have sprayed mite killer but do you think I should use mite powder on the birds? Whats the best way to do this?

Thank you for your advice it is most appreciated.
Nicki

 

[Michael OShay]

Hi Michael, I do feed my bantams a small handful of corn in the evening before they go to bed so perhaps I should stop that, also do bantams part moult as there are a few feathers in the coop or could they have red mite? I clean the coop weekly as well as mini poo pick ups every day and occasionally see some mites near the end of the slot of their perch for which I have sprayed mite killer but do you think I should use mite powder on the birds? Whats the best way to do this?

Thank you for your advice it is most appreciated.
Nicki

You're welcome. It's okay to occasionally give your bantams a little corn as a treat, but just make sure that treats comprise less than 10% of their diet. Commerial feeds are specially formulated to meet all of their nutritional needs. Too many treats will make them fat and unhealthy and cause a drop in their lay rate. It's the equivalent of us eating potato chips and candy bars. I would definitely use mite powder on the birds as you need to get rid of the mites. There is a video at

showing you how to powder them. It's really quite simple. ) Good luck in getting rid of the mites and in getting more eggs.

 

[josie555]

Hi Michael,
After looking over the light sussex bantam I have found that she doesn't have mites but lice which may be the cause of her not laying so I have dusted her with total mite powder which also kills lice aswell. the other bantams do not seem to be scratching but I will dust them tomorrow just in case they have them too. I have also just purchased 3 young bantams say 15 weeks, 2 pekins (black and cookoo maran) and a white Plymouth rock so they will be dusted aswell. but that's it no more room now. I didn't realise that they would be so addictive. Thank you again for the support you have given me. Luckily my partner can hold the birds whilst I dust them. p.s. what powder do you use?
Nicki
Devon, England

 

[Michael OShay]

Hi Michael,
After looking over the light sussex bantam I have found that she doesn't have mites but lice which may be the cause of her not laying so I have dusted her with total mite powder which also kills lice aswell. the other bantams do not seem to be scratching but I will dust them tomorrow just in case they have them too. I have also just purchased 3 young bantams say 15 weeks, 2 pekins (black and cookoo maran) and a white Plymouth rock so they will be dusted aswell. but that's it no more room now. I didn't realise that they would be so addictive. Thank you again for the support you have given me. Luckily my partner can hold the birds whilst I dust them. p.s. what powder do you use?
Nicki
Devon, England

You're welcome. I've rarely had to treat my chickens for mites for lice over the years as the wood ash baths I keep for them does a very good job preventing infestations (better than dust does), but on those rare occasions when I've had to treat them for lice or mites, I've used Sevin Dust 5%.