Hi, I'm hoping someone will be able to help us with our tale of woe regarding our chickens and their eggs..
For about 5 months our 2 hybrid chickens (now 2.5 years old) haven't been laying any eggs or have been laying eggs with very soft shells. Up until this point they both laid an egg a day pretty much without fail.
We first had a red mite infestation - we thoroughly cleaned out the coop and have been using diatom and poultry shield which seems to have cleared the infestation. Both chickens appear to have lost feathers on their necks and front, the feathers on their fronts have grown back but not so much the neck feathers. The infestation has been clear for at least a couple of months now.
A couple of weeks ago we went to let them out and both chickens were happily eating an egg.. so we're now not sure if they have been laying eggs but eating them. Either way, the eggs that they have laid have been so soft that they aren't usable anyway. We did have a hard-ish egg about a week ago but nothing since.
They are free-ranging with plenty of foliage to eat. We put poultry grit out and I also occasionally mix it into their feed - they don't seem to eat it though and it is often left over at the bottom of the feeder.
We feed them layers pellets with protein of 16% and calcium 4%.
I tried feeding them swiss chard that we grow and they don't seem interested in it at all. We don't feed them treats except from the occasional mealworm.
They seem otherwise healthy to me - their combs look red and upright. One of the two has been ill for a couple of days during this period - puffed up and lack of energy but seemed to recover fine. They're both acting normally now.
If anyone has any ideas we would be really grateful! We love them as pets but would also really like some eggs!
For about 5 months our 2 hybrid chickens (now 2.5 years old) haven't been laying any eggs or have been laying eggs with very soft shells. Up until this point they both laid an egg a day pretty much without fail.
We first had a red mite infestation - we thoroughly cleaned out the coop and have been using diatom and poultry shield which seems to have cleared the infestation. Both chickens appear to have lost feathers on their necks and front, the feathers on their fronts have grown back but not so much the neck feathers. The infestation has been clear for at least a couple of months now.
A couple of weeks ago we went to let them out and both chickens were happily eating an egg.. so we're now not sure if they have been laying eggs but eating them. Either way, the eggs that they have laid have been so soft that they aren't usable anyway. We did have a hard-ish egg about a week ago but nothing since.
They are free-ranging with plenty of foliage to eat. We put poultry grit out and I also occasionally mix it into their feed - they don't seem to eat it though and it is often left over at the bottom of the feeder.
We feed them layers pellets with protein of 16% and calcium 4%.
I tried feeding them swiss chard that we grow and they don't seem interested in it at all. We don't feed them treats except from the occasional mealworm.
They seem otherwise healthy to me - their combs look red and upright. One of the two has been ill for a couple of days during this period - puffed up and lack of energy but seemed to recover fine. They're both acting normally now.
If anyone has any ideas we would be really grateful! We love them as pets but would also really like some eggs!
