No eggs at 28.5 weeks...

[GulfBamaChick]

Predators might be an issue. Snakes will eat eggs whole. My neighbor had this problem. He thought they just weren't laying (they are confined to a coop and run) until he caught 6 juvenile rat snakes raiding the nest boxes and eating 8 out of 10 or so eggs a day.

We do have rat snakes in the area, I have shot quite a few, skinned them, cooked them, and fed them to the chickens lol. However I always know when they are around because of the cardinals. Talk about an alarm system. NEVER fails. I hear it every time and shoot them out of the trees. So that isn’t it because the cardinals set it off up in here. Also, my girls are mean. The have killed rats and snakes. My hens even tried to kill the newer girls when I let them out to free range way on the other side of the yard. No lie my husband had to get a broom and start swiping them so that I could gather all of the pullets and put them up. I ended up having to pen up the hens and let one out a night into the pullet flock in order to combine them lol.

 

[GulfBamaChick]

What I need to know is what could be the delay in laying? Is it free ranging? Slow maturity? Lighting? Does lighting matter with production breeds? Does it make them lay less because it is fall and will they lay at all? What if they dont lay at all? At what age should I hold out to? etc.

 

[lightchick]

Someone on the forum had Blue Jays coming in the coop and eating eggs.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

What kind of feed are they on?

 

[GulfBamaChick]

What kind of feed are they on?

Their entire diet is listed on the post. They free range + oystershells

 

[Kelsie2290]

They are not getting fed any sort of chicken food / commercial diet? Would guess that is your problem right there. Egg laying and just growing/maturing are very high energy / protein requiring activities. It is very very doubtful that production birds are going to be able to find enough food free ranging to produce at the level you want them to.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

They are not getting fed any sort of chicken food / commercial diet? Would guess that is your problem right there. Egg laying and just growing/maturing are very high energy / protein requiring activities. It is very very doubtful that production birds are going to be able to find enough food free ranging to produce at the level you want them to.

X2. They need at least 16% protein via layer feed.

 

[GulfBamaChick]

They are not getting fed any sort of chicken food / commercial diet? Would guess that is your problem right there. Egg laying and just growing/maturing are very high energy / protein requiring activities. It is very very doubtful that production birds are going to be able to find enough food free ranging to produce at the level you want them to.

Ok! I will try adding more protein to their diet. I don’t want to buy commercial feed for it, but my son and I like to hunt. I have fed them kills such as squirrel and snakes. If I start giving them meat at the end of the day would that be enough? I will try this. there are SOOOOO many worms in my yard, I thought that would be enough.

 

[appps]

They are not getting fed any sort of chicken food / commercial diet? Would guess that is your problem right there. Egg laying and just growing/maturing are very high energy / protein requiring activities. It is very very doubtful that production birds are going to be able to find enough food free ranging to produce at the level you want them to.

Was just rereading to see if I had that right too, mine free range all day and get our leftovers but still come to eat the other feed, if I took it off them they would be quite hungry I would think. Do they rush you when you bring the leftovers and argue while all trying to eat at once? If they do there is a good chance they aren't producing because they aren't finding enough to fill them up just free ranging. They won't give up the free range diet or the leftovers for the feed (it will come last on their list) but it needs to be there to top that up if they don't manage to get enough other food on their own each day. The feed also contains vitamins and minerals especially important for young growing birds. worms and leftovers will not make for a happy healthy flock as you have already found. You can supplement with some extra meat for protein but these are chickensn not dogs. If you want a good supply of eggs you need in turn to give the correct diet for a chicken.

 

[GulfBamaChick]

X2. They need at least 16% protein via layer feed.

Why does it have to be feed? I hunt regularly could I just give them cooked meat?