Okay, this August I got four brown Leghorn hens that were supposedly one year old, from the spring of 2007. They took about three weeks and then we started getting 1-2 eggs a day, about five days a week.
Around the middle of October, they stopped completely. Not one egg since then.
We feed them 16% layer feed, oyster shell calcium, black oil sunflower seeds, and occasional leftovers. They have a pen and small coop. They are locked in the coop at night and in the pen during the day. They "free range" about 1-2 days a week, depending on our schedule and the weather. I have looked in all of their hiding places and no eggs.
I'm not interested in putting up a light, etc., to get them to lay now. Of course, I'd rather have their eggs than store eggs, but I figure that's life. My question is: Is there ANY chance they'll start laying again in the spring? Or should I consider that I bought old hens or dud hens and they'll never lay again?
Oh, and we have a rooster. He's a turken rooster that doesn't seem to understand his purpose - we've never seen him "physical" with any of the hens and he kind of does his own thing when they're out to free range.
Thank you!
Around the middle of October, they stopped completely. Not one egg since then.
We feed them 16% layer feed, oyster shell calcium, black oil sunflower seeds, and occasional leftovers. They have a pen and small coop. They are locked in the coop at night and in the pen during the day. They "free range" about 1-2 days a week, depending on our schedule and the weather. I have looked in all of their hiding places and no eggs.
I'm not interested in putting up a light, etc., to get them to lay now. Of course, I'd rather have their eggs than store eggs, but I figure that's life. My question is: Is there ANY chance they'll start laying again in the spring? Or should I consider that I bought old hens or dud hens and they'll never lay again?
Oh, and we have a rooster. He's a turken rooster that doesn't seem to understand his purpose - we've never seen him "physical" with any of the hens and he kind of does his own thing when they're out to free range.
Thank you!
