Treated for worms, still no more eggs

[urbanfarmer101]

I treated my entire flock with Ivomectin (SP) 4 weeks ago yesterday. I have 30 mature birds and I get 4-8 eggs a day. I changed their feed to layina by Purina. They get fresh water, scratch grain, grass and veggie/fruit treats daily. I am not sure why they are not laying! It was blistering hot all summer, but now we have temps in the 70's during the day and 40's at night. LOVELY weather!

Some of them have pale combs and have lost weight. That is why I treated them and switched feed.

There is no evidence of lice, mites or fleas on them. I did confine them for 3 days hoping that some of them were hiding their eggs out in the pasture, but I got the same amount of eggs.

What is it with these girls!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Well, for my flock tis the season for molting and not alot of egg laying. Especially for girls over 1 1/2 years old. Just my thoughts maybe they have decided to put forth more effort into new feather growth for winter and when that happens they don't lay well for a few months. My older girls won't pick back up til Dec. or jan.

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Well, they are a 1 1/2. Everyone has her feathers tho. These lazy girls took the entire summer off. I went from 15 eggs a day to 4 eggs a day in June and it hasn't picked back up yet. I also have girls that I purchased in April from the farm store and only two of the 10 are laying.

Just trying to figure out if it is something that I am doing wrong. They get 14 hours of light, have a lot of room in the house and they have 1/4 acre of fenced pasture.

 

[cutlass1972]

I am experiencing the same, and about the same time tables. As soon as it gor scorching hot this summer all but my 2 little leghorns quit laying, and they haven't really started back up. Those two little leghorns have given me an egg a day each for the entire summer rain or shine.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
There are several factors involved; change in feed, change to cooler temps, possible upcoming moult and 3 days confinement (at hard labor?) lol. Dont worry, let them adjust to all the changes, it might take awhile. If there's an upcoming moult, they'll stop laying for quite awhile...and this is the time of year they usually moult. You might try increasing their protein intake, add some scrambled eggs to their feed instead of the scratch you're giving them. Chickens are creatures of habit...any changes however slight throws them off abit til they adjust. Just have patience, we all go through it.

 

[rockstar]

My Orpies who started laying August, 2009, haven't been laying good for about 2 1/2 months. I blamed it on the extremely hot summer. Most of them started molting about a month and a half ago. A few of them are starting to fill out now. I have four new girls from a hen that went broody last Spring. The new ones started laying a little less that two weeks ago and are doing great. From the four, I am already getting two to three eggs a day. They all eat the same feed and were in the same weather conditions. The older hens did well all last winter so I'm hoping they will pick up even though the days are getting shorter.