Not laying, not molting

[SparrowSong]

All of my hens have stopped laying. Two have reasonable excuses (one orpington is broody and the other mixed breed is raising baby chicks.) But the other two (different ages, another oprington and mixed breed) have just stopped for no apparent reason. They did lay pretty good through the winter, but now that it's spring, NOTHING for several weeks. Absolutely no signs of molting.

The only thing I can think of is that they've all been mostly eating the chick starter/grower I bought for the baby chicks. I can't keep them out of each other's food. The babies are about 5 weeks old.

Anything I can do to jumpstart them? Any idea why they've quit?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feed chicks starter to hens all the time because of the extra protein, so I don't believe that's why. Some hens just lay in spurts, stopping occasionally for no apparent reason.

I might suspect that since you only have four hens, the two others are causing yours to stop, either because of the upheaval of broodies and chicks or because seeing and hearing broodies will make others go broody too, so yours aren't actually going broody but are a bit hormonally affected by it.

 

[SparrowSong]

Thanks for the info. I'm glad to know it's not the chick starter, possibly just hormonal hens. LOL.

 

[aart]

I also feed start or finisher all the time.....but do provide oyster shells in a separate container all the time.

 

[SparrowSong]

thank you. They're still not laying, although the one has gotten past being broody.