production down, numbers don't add up

[Kiki]

Martin's PERMETHRIN spray

• Kiki
• Mar 22, 2018
• 6
• flies lice mites permethrin

 

[Kiki]

Above product is labeled for poultry.

 

[gadus]

I want to thank-again-all for input. I have to believe at present the egg production issue is one of overcrowding. All the feather loss on their heads-mostly the younger birds-can be explained by pecking from older birds. I saw a great deal of that behavior yesterday which I have not noticed previously, simply because I haven't had any time to observe them at length.

Still, it was a good day, as we got 12 eggs which hasn't happened in weeks. Furthermore they are laying now-not entirely-in the nest boxes with the fresh hay, including those boxes without wooden eggs. The pullets continue to lay at times in the coop proper but not many. The run is now mostly snow free so there's now several thousand ft2 for them to use when I stop letting them out to free range, sometime this week.

I am building a killing cone and will be culling soon. I plan on a major coop cleaning day on the next warm and breezy afternoon and I may sprinkle some DE everywhere at that time. Expanding the coop when time permits but definitely before adding birds later in the spring.

 

[Kiki]

I want to thank-again-all for input.

I am building a killing cone and will be culling soon. I plan on a major coop cleaning day on the next warm and breezy afternoon and I may sprinkle some DE everywhere at that time. Expanding the coop when time permits but definitely before adding birds later in the spring.

Don't waste your money.
It will not do much of anything but just that...waste your money.


Glad to hear you were able to spend some time observing.
Good luck with the cone.

 

[Mosey2003]

Yes, I won't use DE either, for many reasons. What are you trying to do by sprinkling it? If you're still worried about mites, just pull all the bedding and nest material and spray everything down with the permethrin. If you want to sprinkle something, I really like Sweet PDZ (meant for horse stalls), it cuts down ammonia and is totally safe for them to be around and even eat, if they choose.

 

[1 acre willows]

I have been following this thread with much interest from the get go. I'm having the same issues have 11 or 12 still laying but only getting 4 maybe 5 eggs a day. No signs of mites but I've tried changing feeds from domor's brand layer, which for the last year had been working well, to nutrena. Have only been using it for 2 weeks but numbers haven't increased. Tried adding some grower finisher as wellfor the protein while they were molting but numbers still came down. I make my own suet out of home made lard, pb, corn meal, oatmeal, raisins, meal worms, and some good shelled bird seed. I use a cup cake tin for suet, give them two of these twice week. With in 24 hrs of giving them these my numbers increase to 8 or 9. What in the suet is helping?

 

[GC-Raptor]

What in the suet is helping?

PB, MW, and BOSS, and maybe even the lard, can help them get through molt.
Is that Dumor Grower Finisher? If so it's only 15% Protein.

You want to look for 18 to 20 even 22% Protein for molting chickens. GC

 

[1 acre willows]

PB, MW, and BOSS, and maybe even the lard, can help them get through molt.
Is that Dumor Grower Finisher? If so it's only 15% Protein.View attachment 1329489 You want to look for 18 to 20 even 22% Protein for molting chickens. GC

No I was using that grower finisher and their layer. 2 parts layer to 1 part finisher, roughly, I have a scoop that I fill their feeders up with it wasn't perfectly measured out and i did try and mix.
My next question then, how long does a molt last? Cause this has been going on for weeks with no signs of feather loss. I was seeing that back in Dec and Jan and i was still getting 8 or 10 eggs and it was -20 outside

 

[1 acre willows]

I was thinking that the protein would stack not stay at that 15% or 16%

 

[Kiki]

No I was using that grower finisher and their layer. 2 parts layer to 1 part finisher, roughly, I have a scoop that I fill their feeders up with it wasn't perfectly measured out and i did try and mix.
My next question then, how long does a molt last? Cause this has been going on for weeks with no signs of feather loss. I was seeing that back in Dec and Jan and i was still getting 8 or 10 eggs and it was -20 outside

If they are molting you WILL see feather loss.
They are not dropping feathers right now?
They may not be molting.