When is their first molt? Cause something's not right...UPDATE-Pg2

[MissPrissy]

Check the lable on your chicken feed. They are not getting enough dietary supplements to produce eggs is my suspicion.

I only feed my chickens gamebird feed.

It is also very important, as chickens are omnivores, that they also get a source of meat protein along with other nutrients to be at their height of production.

All purpose feeds can be like bare bones maintenance. Enough to survive on but not enough to be optimal for thei needs.

 

[keljonma]

You said you didn't see any bugs or worms, and droppings are normal. It sounds like you have a healthy flock.

I agree with ravenfeathers, that it is highly unlikely that your entire flock is egg bound! In my limited experience with the subject, egg bound hens don't act normally - no jumping on roosts, kinda droopy. You will know if a bird is unwell if you observe them.

Don't take this the wrong way, because I understand you are just concerned about your flock. But ....

I think you should take a deep breath, relax and just observe your flock for a day or two. If they go out, follow them, see what they are doing. Try to focus on a single bird at a time, instead of the entire flock.

They could just be slowing down because ..... autumn is coming. In my opinion, you won't do you or your flock any good by sitting around worrying. And double posting a question on BYC doesn't help either. You'll just make yourself crazy. There are many things that can go wrong with chickens, no sense manufacturing problems if they don't exist.

Spend some time with them and see if you can find some odd behavior... something that doesn't look right, besides the fact that they aren't laying eggs. And post back so we know what you find.

 

[MissPrissy]

Another thought - bare bones all purpose feed, over time, no matter how much they are eating, will leave a nutrition deficite. Even with a full crop their bodies are lacking something. They will pick and eat feathers to get it. They will also eat their own eggs.

 

[carwinew]

I was going to post and then saw that MissPrissy had mentioned it. My egg count dropped drastically seemingly overnight. After a few days, I discovered a chicken with what looked like dried yolk on her beak. I isolated her and woo-hoo my egg count recovered. You might have a guilty culprit in your flock. And egg eaters are like chicken eating dogs they don't stop.

 

[cjeanean]

Today I went out to check on them, and one or two of my leghorns as well as a few RIRs have droopy looking combs. Specifically the two leghorns. I still don't know if I'm feeling an egg in there. Our days are still naturally about 14 hours, but just in case I increased the light timer to a 16 hour day. They're still eating the oyster shell, I just put more out yesterday and they've already gotten into it. The feed I'm giving them is 16% all purpose. So would a nutrition problem affect all of them so suddenly? Are there any other illnesses or anything that might cause cessation of laying without other symptoms?

What if they consumed too much calcium? Could that do it?

They still come running when I throw scratch, and when I pick them up they still don't really like it (especially with the poking and prodding of their hindquarters).

If this is a molt, what should I expect? I sure as heck didn't think they would molt this soon (they're only 28 weeks). How long does a molt last?

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Wait......were u serious????

Well maybe partially serious

 

[ChickenToes]

I agree, it may be their feed. Try switching to a gamebird feed like MissPrissy suggested, or try switching them back to chick starter. Try giving them meal worms, yogurt, grass or other treats to boost their nutritional intake.

 

[tfpets]

Not to steal the thread, but to request your further advise??
Quote:
What do recommend as the best dietary supplement for a healthy chicken to produce their eggs? What should we see on the label?

Quote:
Do you feed your chickens the gamebird maintenance, the conversion feed, or what? There is one that is 30% protein, is that okay, or in the heat, will it give them too much protein or cause heat? (It's over 105 degrees here, getting hotter, so is it a concern?)

Quote:
I assume this can be covered by consumption of a healthy Cat food product, or if it doesnt contain toxic ingredients, a soaked Dog Food product, which although it contains wheat middlings and corn, also has a source, although icky, of meat? If these are taboo, what meat sources for an egg producing flock do you suggest?

Quote:
What do you recommend as a staple diet, in quantity, for our flocks, to maintain them in optimal health and condition? Bare bones plus, but what would really meet all of their needs at once?


Oh yeah - I was going to suggest - about the sudden disappearance of the eggs. I had the same thing happen, treated for every ailment known to chickens, and finally found the culprit - my rhode island red, and she was quite pleased with herself! She may find herself in chicken heaven, but I'm just isolating her for now.

 

[tfpets]

Why Did My Chickens Stop Laying?
PNW 565
January 2003
J.C. Hermes


Egg production is a remarkable thing. A pullet (young female chicken) begins laying eggs at 18 to 20 weeks of age. She reaches peak production at about 35 weeks, with a production rate greater than 90 percent (that’s 9 eggs in 10 days for a single hen or 9 eggs from 10 birds daily). This period of peak production lasts about 10 weeks, after which her egg production slowly begins to decline.

A high-producing hen’s annual egg production is more than 10 times her body weight. The average commercial Single Comb White Leghorn hen lays about 265 eggs per year, with backyard breeds laying fewer. In most cases, the more exotic the breed, the poorer the egg production.

Hens stop laying eggs for a variety of reasons. External or internal stimuli affect hormone levels, which change the condition of the ovary and oviduct, the organs responsible for egg production. The result of these changes is the reduction or cessation of egg production. The most common stimuli that affect egg production are decreasing day length, disease, broodiness, poor nutrition, and stress. However, even under ideal conditions, every hen’s egg production eventually slows down and stops.

Decreasing day length
Days become shorter beginning June 22 and begin to lengthen again on December 22. In Oregon, day length decreases from nearly 16 hours of light at the beginning of summer to just over 8 hours at the beginning of winter. This change in day length causes hens to molt and cease egg production, a process that may take several months.

Preventing production losses due to changes in natural day length requires artificial lighting. To maintain production, day length must increase or remain constant at more than 12 hours per day; a 14- to 16-hour day is typical. Light needs to be just bright enough to read a newspaper, and the type of bulb does not matter. If a lighting program is started, it must be continued. Even a 1-day lapse can have a negative impact on egg production. It is best to use an inexpensive timer to control the light schedule.

Molt
Molting is a natural process that allows the hen to replace old, worn feathers and rejuvenates her oviduct, the organ that “makes” eggs. With the molt, the hen puts the bulk of her energy into feather growth, leaving little for egg production.

Natural molting is a seasonal process related to changes in day length. It usually occurs in the fall after chicks fledge, but in domestic birds it can occur at any time, especially if the hen is exposed to some stress. Rapid feather loss by the entire flock usually is the result of a serious stressful event such as lack of water and/or feed or lighting problems.

Even with a lighting program, hens eventually molt. When molting during long-day periods, the molt often is not complete, and hens may never be restored to full production. It is a good idea to allow hens to molt during their second winter. By turning off the lights for about 6 weeks during the winter, the birds will molt more completely and then can be placed on long days again to resume egg production.

NOTE: Molt does not result in localized feather loss or bare spots. When bare spots appear, they are almost always the result of picking.

Broodiness
Broodiness is the natural tendency for a hen to sit on her eggs to hatch chicks. Most hens eventually go broody, some breeds more often than others, although some breeds rarely, if ever, go broody. (Cochins and Silkies are champions at going broody; broodiness is rare in Leghorns.) When a hen becomes broody, hormonal changes result in the cessation of lay.

The stimulus for broodiness normally is a nest full of eggs; however, some hens will go broody without this stimulus. To reduce broodiness, collect eggs daily from nests and hiding places. If a hen shows a desire to stay on the nest for extended periods, remove her from access to the nest for several days. After a period of time, the broody behavior will cease and she will return to egg production.

Flock health
Disease problems occur from time to time in all flocks. In many cases, a drop in egg production is the first sign of trouble. Other signs include lethargy, inactivity, lameness, coughing, dull appearance, and death. Some mortality is normal, but if several birds show similar symptoms, seek professional help. In Oregon, contact your county Extension agent, Extension poultry specialist, or the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at OSU (541-737-3261). In Washington and Idaho, contact the Avian Health Laboratory at WSU-Puyallup (253-445-4537) or the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab in Pullman (509-335-9696).

Age
Eventually, all hens cease egg production. Normally, chickens produce well until they are 2 to 3 years old, and then egg production declines. Molts become more frequent and prolonged, and physical problems with the ovary or oviduct may occur. After all, when a high-producing hen has laid for 3 years, she may have produced more than 30 times her body weight in eggs.

In some instances, the oviduct becomes less able to expel eggs, and one or more become trapped in the oviduct, a condition called “egg bound.” In other cases, hens ovulate egg yolks that are not collected by the oviduct and hence remain in the body cavity. This is normal for a low percentage of yolks, and the hen simply reabsorbs them. When this “mistake” is an everyday occurrence, the hen is considered an “internal layer.”

Sometimes older hens attempt to pass an extremely large egg or a double-yolk egg. In this case, the oviduct, which normally externalizes when eggs are laid, may not return to its normal position inside the hen’s body. The oviduct remains external, a condition known as prolapse, and becomes a very tempting article for other hens in the flock to pick. Remove such a hen from the flock immediately.

In each of these cases, egg production ceases, and the health of the hen is in jeopardy. There is little that can be done for these hens but to remove them from the flock.

Poor nutrition
Diet is very important to maintaining maximum egg production. Chickens require a balanced diet, and any supplementation of scratch, table scraps, garden waste, etc. serves to unbalance the diet.

For maximum egg production, feed a layer ration free choice, provide free-choice oyster shell in a separate feeder, and supplement only what hens will clean up in 15 minutes or none at all. NOTE: Do not feed starter or grower diets to layers. Nutrient levels of these rations are different, which will reduce egg production, and medications in starter diets may leave residues in eggs. For more information on feeding laying hens, see the Pacific Northwest Extension publication PNW 477, How to Feed Your Laying and Breeding Hens.

Stress
Egg production is a hen’s reproductive activity. It is not a requirement for hens to thrive. When a hen experiences stress, even so minimal as to go unnoticed, she may respond by ceasing egg production.

Moving, handling, overheating, fright, and lack of food or water are stresses that can be detrimental to egg production. Protection from the elements and predators, clean and well-maintained facilities, adequate ventilation in closed houses, constant availability of feed and water, etc. will reduce stress and help maintain high egg production. Maintaining a healthy, well-managed flock will result in high-producing hens and many high-quality eggs for the family or for sale.

Copied from the Internet - Pacific Northwest University - 565 - Downloadable copy available online

 

[cjeanean]

Okay, so it's been almost exactly a week, and we've gotten one or two brown eggs starting three days ago. Well, today we got 2 white eggs! I don't know if the brown egg layers that were laying before this little break of theirs are laying again, since I only had about 10 of my 18 layer hens laying, but I know for sure now that at least 2 of the original 10 layers are back at it! I only have 4 white layers that are old enough to lay, and since I finally got white eggs I know that they're okay now. The question is, why did they stop laying for a week?