Pulleys stopped laying?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have sex links as well as some heritage breeds.

Are the sex links laying?

 

[aart]

Maybe I missed this but.....
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[Catharinejo]

Are the sex links laying?

We know at least one cinnamon queen and one black sex link were laying, as well as the bantam who is broody.

 

[Catharinejo]

They free range some but not every day since school started again. We use a layer feed, offer pieces of smashed egg shells free choice, and throw in mint and some other green plants once in a while.

Maybe I missed this but.....
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[aart]

I don't think you ever said how big your coop was?
Run is 8x12 which is a bit tight.
Did the drop off in laying start when the bantam went broody(what did you do about that?) and/or when they ranged less?
They may be reacting to stress.

 

[Catharinejo]

Yes it started at pretty much the same time the bantam went broody. I am trying to finish up plans to build a separate coop for the bantams which might help a little bit and trying to talk to talk my son into parting with another hen or two. Hopefully We can get this figured out.

I don't think you ever said how big your coop was?
Run is 8x12 which is a bit tight.
Did the drop off in laying start when the bantam went broody(what did you do about hat?) and/or when they ranged less?
They may be reacting to stress.

 

[aart]

trying to talk to talk my son into parting with another hen or two.

You already have 13 std birds?

We have one cockerel and 11 standard sized pullets that are 22 weeks, 3 bantams that are probably 23-24 weeks, and 2 pullets that are 14-18 weeks (I was just told a month they hatched).

...and......

I don't think you ever said how big your coop was?
Run is 8x12 which is a bit tight.

Adding more birds will only increase the stress.

 

[Catharinejo]

We won’t be keeping them all together. I thought it would be good for him to see the whole process as part of his poultry project for 4-H. She’s sitting on 2 eggs right now.

You already have 13 std birds?

...and......

Adding more birds will only increase the stress.

 

[Catharinejo]

You already have 13 std birds?

...and......

Adding more birds will only increase the stress.

We didn’t plan on this many chickens. We ended up with some extras and were advised to keep them all at first because they might not all make it. Then they did. This will help me convince my son to part with a few more. He is very attached but I told him they would probably be happier with more space even though they don’t seem unhappy now. Whenever there is an issue he wants me to ask here do he will probably listen more than he does to me.

 

[CindyinSD]

They need (if I remember right) around 12 hrs of light in order to lay very much. I may have missed it if you said whether you’re supplementing their light. If you choose not to supplement light (which many do choose in order to give the girls a break) then you’re not going to see a lot of eggs until spring lengthens the days again.