to lay or not to lay....

[grandads]

Just mix it up by it's self, give it to them before feeding time so that they will eat plenty. how many hens are you talking about?

 

[lilbreeches]

there are 22 hens. how much should i feed them?

 

[grandads]

Six pounds cornmeal three bottles pepper. Moisten it like you would if you were making cornbread. If they don't eat it all that's ok, they will come back later! I do this every three weeks. I give it to mine in the morning, and feed laying pellets in the afternoon. I raise my chickens for the eggs so I don't give them any junk, just laying pellets and a little sunflower seeds. Let me know how it works for you it has always worked for me.

 

[lilbreeches]

GREAT! I will feed them this tomorrow. How long after that should I see results?

I will keep you posted for sure.

 

[grandads]

For me five days to a week.

 

[lilbreeches]

k thanks and i will update with the results.

 

[jlmann]

One thing to consider if your birds came from a commercial operation is that commercial layers are kept really warm (not sure exact temp. but I know its warm) and also are kept under lights for a larger part of the day to make them produce more eggs. I'm sure this has to be hard on them. So your birds might take a little while longer to adjust to a more "normal" laying pattern that you see with your other birds. Definately with warm weather approaching and longer days they should get back on track. If they don't you might want to consider trying a heat lamp in with them for a week or so just in a corner or something. Their bodies might be used to the extra heat and light the commercial guys use to "force" them to lay. Hope everything works out for you !

 

[lilbreeches]

Quote:
i did think of this. however, it has been in the 70's here for a week and they are up before daylight and go to bed after dark. this still i know isn't as much light as they are used to but i think that i want them to adjust to a normal life on the farm. so was looking for ideas on how to encourage them to start laying. so i am going to try what grandads suggested and see what happens!

 

[jlmann]

I don't blame you - the commercial guys can be a little too hard on their birds. I think they keep them around 80 to 90 degrees. It just might take them a while to get adjusted. Keep us posted on grandad's recipe please - I've heard good things about the cayenne pepper ! By the way, did you get your egg eating problem sorted out?

 

[lilbreeches]

i sure hope so. i rearranged everything in the coop, moved one of the hens who was starting it, and gathering eggs lots of times a day. also put golf balls in their boxes. got 16 eggs out of 20 hens yesterday (in seperate pen than the non-layers in question) and i was only getting 9 or 10 cause they were eating them. so good so far

edited for typos