no eggs

[j2had2]

hi guys so its been 3 weeks since ive gotten my 3 girls who are all 8 months old from a local hatchery. They all are on a set routine. Wake up roam then i feed mid day (I feed them scratch and peck layer feed Alternated from fermented to dry) then later in the day i bring them fresh watermelon and they know the time of hour to come to the front of the run for there watermelon. So im guessing they are kinda in a routine which from what ive heard is very important. I know they see the eggs in the nesting box because ive placed them in there so they can observe and see where there supposed to lay, but still nothing…

At night they jump into the coop with a roost bar and sleep and in the morning naturally they wake up and come out like normal.

I wanted to see if anybody has any ideas on what’s going on and why i haven’t seen any eggs from them? People have told me it’s probably the time of year and lighting so about 2 weeks ago ive added artificial lighting in there coop and run for an extra hour and a half of light for them…. still nothing.

I appreciate every response thank you so much

 

[BackyardChickenFool]

I wouldn't give them that much watermelon, that could be the reason they are not laying currently. It should be given in moderation and not as the main part of any diet.

 

[nuthatched]

As we've said before, you're not likely to get egg since the stress from the move likely threw them into a early winter break.
Cut back on the treats.

 

[j2had2]

I wouldn't give them that much watermelon, that could be the reason they are not laying currently. It should be given in moderation and not as the main part of any diet.

ok got it ill cut down on watermelon, I feed them 4 boiled eggs every morning for pure protein. Should i cut back on that also?

 

[j2had2]

As we've said before, you're not likely to get egg since the stress from the move likely threw them into a early winter break.
Cut back on the treats.

thanks for your reply

are you sure it could throw them into a winter break? they are all less then a year old. Around 7.5-8 months to be exact. I thought usually when bird get to the 1-1.5 year mark is when they take those winter breaks?

 

[BackyardChickenFool]

ok got it ill cut down on watermelon, I feed them 4 boiled eggs every morning for pure protein. Should i cut back on that also?

Maybe every three days, just so your not giving them to much but still giving them enough...

 

[j2had2]

Maybe every three days, just so your not giving them to much but still giving them enough...

got it hopefully by the time winter is over they’ll start

 

[rosemarythyme]

I guess you want them to forage in the morning but you really should have feed available once they're up and about.

The eggs, watermelon, etc. are all nice bonuses but they don't need any of those especially if they already forage, and thus are eating less feed.

That may or may not affect laying directly but with shorter fall days it's important for them to be able to get all the nutrition they need in fewer hours. You mentioned adding extra lighting but 1 1/2 hours may not be enough if you live far away enough from the equator that you're under 12 hrs or so of daylight.

 

[K0k0shka]

So you only feed them actual chicken feed once a day? How much - enough to last them the whole day, or enough for them to eat in that one sitting? That might be messing them up and depriving them of enough calories to be able to produce eggs. Chickens eat a little bit at a time throughout the day, not three large meals like humans do. They can't eat a large amount in one sitting, so they eat small amounts many times a day. It adds up and they end up consuming a lot more total throughout the day than they could in one/two/three feedings. That's why with chickens it's best to have feed readily available at all times, regardless of what else you offer as treats/forage. If they can't get enough calories from the limited feedings you're giving them, they won't have excess to turn into eggs. Forage is nice but it can't sustain them if they aren't getting enough actual nutrition from a proper feed. And watermelon isn't nutrition, it's mostly water and fills them up without giving them the necessary calories and nutrients. Give them access to poultry feed at all times and cut back on the treats. Depending on where you are on the planet, at this point it may be too late in the season for them to start laying, if they haven't yet. Pullets that don't reach point of lay before the days start to get too short in the fall, will skip altogether and wait until springtime to start laying, when the days start getting noticeably longer again.

 

[j2had2]

So you only feed them actual chicken feed once a day? How much - enough to last them the whole day, or enough for them to eat in that one sitting? That might be messing them up and depriving them of enough calories to be able to produce eggs. Chickens eat a little bit at a time throughout the day, not three large meals like humans do. They can't eat a large amount in one sitting, so they eat small amounts many times a day. It adds up and they end up consuming a lot more total throughout the day than they could in one/two/three feedings. That's why with chickens it's best to have feed readily available at all times, regardless of what else you offer as treats/forage. If they can't get enough calories from the limited feedings you're giving them, they won't have excess to turn into eggs. Forage is nice but it can't sustain them if they aren't getting enough actual nutrition from a proper feed. And watermelon isn't nutrition, it's mostly water and fills them up without giving them the necessary calories and nutrients. Give them access to poultry feed at all times and cut back on the treats. Depending on where you are on the planet, at this point it may be too late in the season for them to start laying, if they haven't yet. Pullets that don't reach point of lay before the days start to get too short in the fall, will skip altogether and wait until springtime to start laying, when the days start getting noticeably longer again.

hi thanks for the great response! no i have feed available in a dark brown bin 24/7 for them but i often still will come out and bring them 3 ish meals a day along with the 24/7 feed…. ill bring them lettuce heads and then bell pepper and vegetable scraps then sometimes more feed scattered across the floor in there run to peck at and then lastly like 5-6 hardboiled eggs to eat at which they absolutely love. But anyway yah! there scratch and peck feed is available 24:7