Orpington hens not laying

[meganB1]

Hi

Hoping someone can help. I have three orpingtons as my first hens. They all look healthy and happy but only seem to lay for about 5 weeks in the year (May-June). We therefore havent had a single egg since that time. Cannot seem to find a reason for it but Im sure those of you who have had hens for some years can help? I know that they arent prolific egg layers but the odd egg throughout the year would be nice. They are about 1 and a half years old now, so things can only go downhill?

Regards

Megan

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

What are you feeding them and are they skinny?

Have you tried artificial light to keep light for 14 hours a day?

Have you ever taken a poo sample to a vet to check for worms (false negatives are possible)?

 

[tomhoogstra]

As said above, you should try adding worming them by adding deworming stuff to there water. Artificial light in the laying areas works as well. My hens lay in dark areas for some reason, I don't know why, the just do.

Best of luck.

Edit: Try adding vitamins to there water and giving them shell grit for calcium

 

[meganB1]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

Boss hen is a little too heavy I feel, No 2 hen a little too light and No 3 is about right. They all eat laying pellets and have the run of our garden for about half of each day. I wish they would eat all their pellets but they dont seem to each day.

Have not tried artificial light but if there is a way of putting some in the coop (recycled plastic) perhaps I can. Not quite sure what to use though.

Megan

 

[meganB1]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

They are due to be wormed again in about a month but I suppose no harm in starting now as the powder has to be put in their feed for six days in a row.

I will try with the vitamins or cider vinegar again but it does not seem to have had much effect before.

They do have a dark area in the coop to lay but are quite lazy beings. When the first of them started to moult in August, all three of them seemed to lose interest in going in the coop except at night time. Have put a rubber egg in there now in the hope......

Any other thoughts please keep them coming......


Megan