Ok, I'm kinda new to chickens although we had them when I was a kid,and later when I first was married until a tornado took the coop and all the feathers off those chickens, now at age 38 married with children I got back in them because I enjoy them. So I've been around them and am a farmer,but dont know a lot about egg laying,cause and effect.
4 weeks ago I started out with 6 red star sex links 2.5 yr olds and 6 black star sex link just starting to lay pullet eggs. I was getting about 4 a day, and slowly the black pullets started laying pretty regular. everythings fine and dandy
we then thought we'd like to have more eggs to sell at school to other teachers where my wife teaches. I went to a local sale for small animals and bought a variety of chickens of different breeds and colors. I bought 9, 2yr old barred rock hens, and one older barred rooster, 6 buff orphington pullets, just ready to start laying, 2 leghorn hens aprox 2 yr old and 2 cornish cross pullets from a 4H project. for a total of 31 hens. I bought these hens 2 weeks ago. When I got them home, the following week we got about a dozen eggs a day, then starting this last week about mid week, they dropped down to about 4 a day, then to 1 a day, then 4 a day.
Here's some info to help you judge whats going on.
New coop, with great fencing, nice roosts for the hens, and a 10 hole aluminum nest box with straw.
The chickens can be locked up in the chicken yard, 16x16ft, with a 6'x14' chicken house built on the end of a loafing shed for horses, or I had doors built into the shed so they can roam the yard, barnyard or where ever they want. So when locked in the coop, they cant be laying where the eggs can be hidden, and I dont think they are eating the eggs either, cause the nest straw isnt slimy like an egg has been broken in there.
The first few days the chickens were put together, the natural pecking order set in, and they had a few squables,but nothing severe. The rooster is very calm and older, so he hasnt ruffled them up any and I have not seen him mount any hens yet to this day. (just wanted him to hear him crow of a morning anyway) He's not real bossy around the hens to get them stirred up.
The hens have as much feed as they need, 18% mash, and ground corn with 17% hog feed protein mixed in. I also have fat hogs they like to spend most of their time with during the day, and basicaly lead very relaxed lives, the pigs do not care they are there at all, and most of the time the chickens spend their days laying in the dirt right next to the pigs in the laofing area within a foot of them. They also have a pig feeder full of oyster shell which I never really see them use at all, but is right by the feeder.Should I be scattering it out on the ground so they pick at it better? yet they have a gravel road they walk on regularly. They have two five gallon waterers with clean water all the time. This is also august so the days are still long, but the heat has not been much of a problem this year, and in fact mid 80's for the norm, and I also have a window fan in the coop for extra ventalation.
I think the red stars may be coming off of molting,because they are getting some white feathers filling in thin areas, but the black stars are started pullets, the barred rocks look good too and were laying good when I got them two weeks ago. They have some feathers missing on the tops of their head but not much else, from the last owner. The buff's started laying a pullet egg or two the last few days.
The birds look healthy, perky, have food,water, light,plenty of space during the day, not much stress, I do have a dog tied up when they are out,but they even get within a foot of him and dustbathe where he's worn the grass off, so the dog isnt causing stress and shouldnt be be a problem. I have kids, but they dont seem to cause much problems for them either. I havent had any reason to think they are diseased, and have normal bowel movements, except when they are let outside every day, some get very runny or watery, assuming from lots of bugs, and lots of green grass.
The only weird thing I can think of is the two cornish cross birds almost sound like they are purring at times, almost like they have a cold,but are very very healthy looking and fat as a tick.
SO, can anyone tell me why they all of a sudden quit laying eggs? and it surely cant be molting, because all of them quit pretty much. I'd think some may molt,but not all at the exact same time.
and second question, will cornish cross hens lay decent or should they be eaten?
Thank you all very much for any help, and if you have questions you need me to answer please ask. Kristin
4 weeks ago I started out with 6 red star sex links 2.5 yr olds and 6 black star sex link just starting to lay pullet eggs. I was getting about 4 a day, and slowly the black pullets started laying pretty regular. everythings fine and dandy
we then thought we'd like to have more eggs to sell at school to other teachers where my wife teaches. I went to a local sale for small animals and bought a variety of chickens of different breeds and colors. I bought 9, 2yr old barred rock hens, and one older barred rooster, 6 buff orphington pullets, just ready to start laying, 2 leghorn hens aprox 2 yr old and 2 cornish cross pullets from a 4H project. for a total of 31 hens. I bought these hens 2 weeks ago. When I got them home, the following week we got about a dozen eggs a day, then starting this last week about mid week, they dropped down to about 4 a day, then to 1 a day, then 4 a day.
Here's some info to help you judge whats going on.
New coop, with great fencing, nice roosts for the hens, and a 10 hole aluminum nest box with straw.
The chickens can be locked up in the chicken yard, 16x16ft, with a 6'x14' chicken house built on the end of a loafing shed for horses, or I had doors built into the shed so they can roam the yard, barnyard or where ever they want. So when locked in the coop, they cant be laying where the eggs can be hidden, and I dont think they are eating the eggs either, cause the nest straw isnt slimy like an egg has been broken in there.
The first few days the chickens were put together, the natural pecking order set in, and they had a few squables,but nothing severe. The rooster is very calm and older, so he hasnt ruffled them up any and I have not seen him mount any hens yet to this day. (just wanted him to hear him crow of a morning anyway) He's not real bossy around the hens to get them stirred up.
The hens have as much feed as they need, 18% mash, and ground corn with 17% hog feed protein mixed in. I also have fat hogs they like to spend most of their time with during the day, and basicaly lead very relaxed lives, the pigs do not care they are there at all, and most of the time the chickens spend their days laying in the dirt right next to the pigs in the laofing area within a foot of them. They also have a pig feeder full of oyster shell which I never really see them use at all, but is right by the feeder.Should I be scattering it out on the ground so they pick at it better? yet they have a gravel road they walk on regularly. They have two five gallon waterers with clean water all the time. This is also august so the days are still long, but the heat has not been much of a problem this year, and in fact mid 80's for the norm, and I also have a window fan in the coop for extra ventalation.
I think the red stars may be coming off of molting,because they are getting some white feathers filling in thin areas, but the black stars are started pullets, the barred rocks look good too and were laying good when I got them two weeks ago. They have some feathers missing on the tops of their head but not much else, from the last owner. The buff's started laying a pullet egg or two the last few days.
The birds look healthy, perky, have food,water, light,plenty of space during the day, not much stress, I do have a dog tied up when they are out,but they even get within a foot of him and dustbathe where he's worn the grass off, so the dog isnt causing stress and shouldnt be be a problem. I have kids, but they dont seem to cause much problems for them either. I havent had any reason to think they are diseased, and have normal bowel movements, except when they are let outside every day, some get very runny or watery, assuming from lots of bugs, and lots of green grass.
The only weird thing I can think of is the two cornish cross birds almost sound like they are purring at times, almost like they have a cold,but are very very healthy looking and fat as a tick.
SO, can anyone tell me why they all of a sudden quit laying eggs? and it surely cant be molting, because all of them quit pretty much. I'd think some may molt,but not all at the exact same time.
and second question, will cornish cross hens lay decent or should they be eaten?
Thank you all very much for any help, and if you have questions you need me to answer please ask. Kristin
