Please help!

[ChickenNewbie32]

I just got my self 5 Rhode Island red chickens. The first week they laid 3 eggs, the next they laid 2. But after that they stopped laying, I am not sure why. I live in Australia so winter is almost here (Winter starts in june where I live), so I am not sure why they have stopped laying. Please help!

Picture of them:

Thanks in advance!

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

Could be one or more of several things...
.....when birds are moved to a new location it's stressful and stress can stop laying.
....change in diet as well as location can play a part.
....if birds are over a year old they may be getting ready to molt.
...do you have a coop for them with cozy safe nests?
......is coop secured at night so no predators can harass them?

 

[ChickenNewbie32]

4 of them don't have all their feathers but are starting grow them, and no i don't have a nesting box for them since i couldn't find any straw, is there an alternative to straw? This morning one of my chickens was making sounds which were pretty loud, does that mean anything? thanks again!

 

[aart]

What's in the nest isn't near as important as a coop for shelter to sleep at night and from the weather....do you have a coop?
They could be missing feathers because of a molt or bugs or being picked on.
What are you feeding....protein level of balance chicken ration?

 

[ChickenNewbie32]

i feed them leftovers a sometimes seeds that i bought. I have a coop i made for them out of wood.
Also i don't have a nesting box for them, is that a problem?

 

[ChickenNewbie32]

Bump!

 

[keesmom]

i feed them leftovers a sometimes seeds that i bought. I have a coop i made for them out of wood.

Also i don't have a nesting box for them, is that a problem?

So you are not giving them a commercial poultry feed? Only scraps?

 

[ChickenNewbie32]

I still give them commercial feed, but not always. Also do you have to have a nesting box?