Stopped laying

[92Pony]

I have a BO and an EE neither of whom has laid more than a half-dozen eggs this calendar year. They're both about 18mos old and were laying at a normal rate. They seemed to molt back in the winter, but never really started production again after. I like my birds, but like my wife says, they're freeloaders at this point (LOL). They get layer pellets and scratch, along with lots of grasshoppers in the spring/summer and table scraps. It's been awfully hot this summer, but if they don't start back up soon...... Any way to coax them into laying an egg once in a while?

 

[LittleSpiritFeathers]

My girls wouldn't lay when it was hot. You can add fresh greens such as fresh mowed grass, garden scraps ect. Also may wish to try dummy eggs to give them the idea. Left eggs in the nest for two days from my regular layers and the new girls started laying finally. May wish to check and see if the girls are stressed. Silly as it sounds, ckickens get bored.Google ways to make food toys. Good luck.

 

[92Pony]

Wouldn't ya know that I got home today (after making this post) and had 6 eggs (after getting 1-3/day for the past weeks, and weeks) LOL! It was somewhat cooler today (been blazing hot here for the past 3mos solid). Maybe its the heat. Its just frustrating, that's all.

Wade

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Everyone has to deal with this. There are those birds who simply are not productive and are, as you say, "free loaders".
Some don't care, while others cull. It's a management decision. The ever rising cost of feed has made this decision much easier for us to make.

 

[LittleSpiritFeathers]

Did you threaten them? Lol

 

[92Pony]

LOL! Littlespirit! I did utter the words "soup" and "crockpot" within earshot.... maybe that helped.

 

[LittleSpiritFeathers]

Apparently it didn't hurt lol!