no eggs please help!!

[ChickenAndMore]

They may still be trying to settle in. Have they been molting?

 

[sellison]

I have not had this problem except during molting but I have only had chickens for 3 years on my own and then as a child. But I have heard that sometimes feeding cat food can jump start them back into laying. Has something to do with the protein. I didn't see you having grit and oyster shell listed but I am sure you do. I feed wheat and occasionally barley or flax. I use what we have on the farm. So I don't know much about commercial feed. I do know that when I fed screenings my production went down. I have heard some others state that they are using corn in the layer instead of soybeans and the corn tends to make them fatty around their reproductive organs and they will quit laying. Just some ideas. Sorry I am not more help.

 

[petertmlnsn]

thanks for the replies,
yes they are molting but they haven't been laying for a lot longer than the molting process. I understand they may need to settle into their new home and they have been there now for nearly 2 weeks however, originally I had the orpingtons hens ( 3 ) in the pen and have had them for nearly a year, and nothing even of them!

So I thought at least I should be getting eggs off them, but nothing and 2 of them I have yet to get my 1st egg. Not to mention my ducks, 2 pekin & 2 mallards they are not laying either. I don't believe they are stressed and am out of ideas/explanations. they have oyster shell, however they should lay even without it, although the shell may be a little more fragile as a result.

It's looking like buying my eggs from the shop would have been cheaper and less stressful. However I enjoy raising them and just want to start getting eggs of them hence why I really need some help here, cheers.

 

[petertmlnsn]

surely this is the site with the answers, Someone must be able to help this is BackyardChickens!!! isn't this the best Chicken forum online? any thoughts most appreciated.

 

[aart]

Sometimes there are just no answers, I think everyone has tried to help with what they know.
I've read of new birds taking more than several weeks to settle in and a couple months to get past the molt to start laying again. Relax and enjoy them as they are, look at it as an opportunity to practice patience.

It's the one of the busiest best chicken chat lines for sure, but sometimes I find it's best to search out other places for answers also.

I'd give it a couple more weeks, or not, then coop them up again for a week or two and see what you get.
Good Luck and Hang in There!

 

[Stewarts]

So, your giving them layers feed, are you giving corn or barley? They need these 'heat' foods in order to lay, especially either cracked or rolled corn. They need oyster shells for calcium, but as a separate 'offer' supplement. Do they have nest boxes? My 14 hens prefer their nest boxes to lay in where they are out of the way of everyone else and can lay in peace. I have mine in an insulated coop with a light bulb, the bulb is on all day and part of the evening but off at night; they very much like the light. The coop insulates against being both too cold and too hot. Have they molted yet? Or are they going to molt? They don't lay when they molt and look terrible as their old feathers come out and new ones grow in. Hens don't need a Roo to lay but sometimes the mere presence of a Roo inspires them to lay.

You've gotten one egg, where did you find it? Was it hidden? Do you use straw in their coop? I find my birds LOVE straw!! They will patiently wait in the hutch until I muck out the coop just so they can charge in and jump onto the new, fresh straw bundles I put in for them. You'd be quite surprised just how sensitive they are to their surroundings.


Six nest boxes above the door into the hutch

An extra 'sleeping' space

 

[Stewarts]

Corn does not make chickens fatty around their reproductive organs, cracked or rolled corn is a must for egg laying. I would not use soybean, EVER just because when soybeans are processed into oil that is sold in stores, the people have to wear protective gear just to be around the stuff. So my birds don't get soybean and I never buy the oil. They need oyster shell in order to lay eggs. No question there.

I agree with Aart, research some other sites as well as this one. Not everyone has answers to particular situations. If they are molting, don't expect eggs right now. Give them supplement food; you may want to give them SuperBoost or Poultry Nutri Drench just to help them through the molt and give them extra vitamins. A molt means they are putting all their energy into growing new feathers instead of producing eggs. If they've not been laying before the molt, could be something in their diets is missing and they need vitamins or electrolytes. Look into that. Apparently, chickens are very sensitive to toxins and vitamin deficiencies.

 

[petertmlnsn]

Thankyou all, I listed all the info I needed to ( see original post. )

They are molting, and have been for awhile now although this has now passed, soybeans, corns vitamins and booster feeders ect I have no idea it's another language to me. The way I see it is they don't get that far into it in some areas of the world and yet the chickens turn out fine. I just do the basics as best I can. clean water/coop, free range/layer pellets/food scraps & oyster shell. clean bedding, no disturbances/predators, ect.

they are using catchers off the push mowers, this seems to work well although when they do lay, they all seem to like the same one. the other thing is as I have said, the Ducks are not laying either. I would love to seperate the ducks from the chickens and see if this makes a difference but I have no where to put them. I agree this is one of if not the best forum on the net.

One things for sure, when I finally figure this out and they start layying, I may have some answers for the next person that comes along with similar questions. regards Pete.

 

[Watty]

Hi Guys,

I have 4 chickens, all different breed aged around 1year and 9 months.

My last egg I collected was the 12th of December. It's now the 13th of January and still no eggs.

Why would 4 happy free ranging chickens suddenly stop laying?

I got them at 1 year and 5 months old and everyday I checked there was sometimes 2 eggs.

My white chicken started to molt around the day they stopped laying but that seemed to only last about 2 weeks.

As for food, they get layers pellets, corn mix, black sunflower seeds, meal worms, crushed egg shell, mixed grit. I even give a herbal supplement called Egg+ mixed in with food. They get clean water daily with a spoonful of ACV added and the coop and bedding is cleaned out every 3 to 4 days.

My wife has told me if they don't lay then there's no point spending money on all the food, bedding etc and they will need to go if they wont give anything in return.

It's winter here (Scotland) but temperatures only drop to -2C on a really cold night but that's rare, normally temp is around 4 to 6c daily and same at night.

What's going on with my chickens and where are my eggs?

 

[aart]

Hi Guys,

I have 4 chickens, all different breed aged around 1year and 9 months.

My last egg I collected was the 12th of December. It's now the 13th of January and still no eggs.

Why would 4 happy free ranging chickens suddenly stop laying?

I got them at 1 year and 5 months old and everyday I checked there was sometimes 2 eggs.

My white chicken started to molt around the day they stopped laying but that seemed to only last about 2 weeks.

As for food, they get layers pellets, corn mix, black sunflower seeds, meal worms, crushed egg shell, mixed grit. I even give a herbal supplement called Egg+ mixed in with food. They get clean water daily with a spoonful of ACV added and the coop and bedding is cleaned out every 3 to 4 days.

My wife has told me if they don't lay then there's no point spending money on all the food, bedding etc and they will need to go if they wont give anything in return.

It's winter here (Scotland) but temperatures only drop to -2C on a really cold night but that's rare, normally temp is around 4 to 6c daily and same at night.

What's going on with my chickens and where are my eggs?

Lack of light...they'll start back up once the days get longer.