We have (6) Australorps, (2) Wyandottes and (7) Leghorn. They have a nice coop and quite of bit of space to roam. We bought them from someone getting out of chickens (2 different sources) and for a month or so we got good production. (8-12 a day) Then about 3 months ago I think they molted and the weather turned (We are in the Phoenix Metro area) The egg production dropped to 2 every other day. I read the forums and ran power to the coop and put a timer on a 40 watt bulb. They now have 15 hours of light a day. That was 5 weeks ago, still no up in food production. They have water 24/7 and get 4 cups of food in the morning and 3 in the evening. What am I missing? Thank you in advance,
I have found that with age the molt can be hard on them and last for months. Mine just started laying some after 4 months of little to no eggs, they are almost 4 years old. They also don't lay as much in the winter
When mine went through their moult this fall there were no eggs for 70 days and then it took another 3 weeks before they were laying as usual.
Can you get some extra protein into them ? I try to feed some cat food a couple of times a week, soaked in water first. Today I fed them some deer hamburg I cooked and mixed in some dry oatmeal. I also got a bale of really nice hay that looks like grass clippings and put some of that in a hay rack to give them something else to munch on.
Thank you all for your response. I actually was mistaken. The molting happened with our last chickens that got wiped out by a coyote. Since these are replacements, and were already producing, I don't know when they molted last. Everything else is accurate. Thanks,
