Weird Egg-Laying Habits..

[Legamin]

I started out with 4 hens that I bought from what turned out to be a shifty operation with less than ideal conditions..but I’d driven 80 miles to buy them so I went through with it..3 months old and they ended up bedding with my sheep and helping to keep the straw mulching and aerated..so far so good. A neighbor called and offered a free rooster..well, hens need a rooster, right?..so I took him..still working out fine. Then an emergency call from a chicken owner who had 3 year old hens (5) that they had to give up because of serious illness..more hens couldn’t hurt, right? (wrong!).
They began bedding in the sheep’s feed and supplementing their feed with sheep’s grain…abandoning their perfectly good water source and perching on the sheep water…and making fowl additions…it became intolerable. I built a coop and raided the sheep barn rafters in the night and relocated them. That’s the backstory…
now some days i get 2 eggs, some days 6 and occasionally none. They consume copious water..that’s fine but they hate the drip waterer and wont use it..$54.00 down the tube and another $25 for the regular water tray warming pad..grrrr stubborn chickens! Half lb food per day and most days 3 eggs! (I’m beginning to think chicken diner…). How do I get them to lay regularly, they’re eating premium laying food, grit, calcium, grain, lots of water? How can I get them to use the #@$@! $54.00 drip waterer? I need to win a battle before they lose the war. Help.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of the waterer? No matter the style of waterer, if you give them other options (the sheep waterer) they will always choose the one you don't want them to have.

So 5 of the chickens are 3 yrs and the other 4 are younger? Assuming you're in northern hemisphere days are shortening and molt has started/should start soon, so it's normal to not get any eggs from your older birds from fall until spring. So 3 eggs a day on average sounds about right.

 

[STACEYH]

Egg laying can differ with each breed. How long have you had them? They might be starting to settle in (so many changes). Then you have shorter days and possible molting. If they never used that type of watering system you might need to show one how to use it. I have to with day old peeps, pick one up take beak put to water. The others will watch that one and will do it also. Good luck and have fun.