Where are the hens laying their eggs?

[Canine and Co]

I have three ex-battery hens who are about 2 years old and a five year old hand raised hen who have not laid an egg for at least a couple of months now! Or they are laying somewhere I cannot find!

I have other hens and they are laying fine (albeit not always in the hen house, sometimes in the Goat's hay rack) but generally they are laying in one of the nest boxes (the rest they ignore). I regularly use DE Earth in the hen house and nest boxes to ensure it is mite free. I use some rubber eggs in the nest boxes to encourage laying!

Their house is a shed with a number of nest boxes I have made to encourage laying. It is cleaned daily, they are fed layers and have oyster shells and grit. They are wormed regularly and are happy and healthy. They are not going through a moult. They are free ranging and they have access to our steep woodland.

I have searched the woodland to see if I can find where they could be laying - to no avail. I have gone out to them a few times a day and they are always around! So I am at a loss as to what is going on.

It is Summer in the UK so days are long and now is the time they should be laying. This is the first time I have encountered such an issue in the 10 years of keeping poultry.

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[ChickNanny13]

How long has it been since you added the ex-battery hens to your flock?
Are they and the 5yo not been laying for a month? Or just the 5yo?

My thought is the 5yo is aged and probably will be laying less and maybe even stop. The ex - battery hens at 2yo IF recently added, probably still adjusting to the change. Due to their prior living conditions, they may need a bit more protein for a bit (scrambled eggs, mealworms to name a few). Did you keep them enclosed in their shed for a few days so they're aware that's where they need to be? However at that age, they'd be slowing down their egg production.

I too use DE as a preventative in the nest box, my CH shavings and dust my girls with it. However, I also use Garden and Poultry Dust which contains Permethrin ... Although it's not recommended (now days) I also rotate with Sevin 5% ... Dusting the vent and under the wing area and their neck area.

https://www.amazon.com/Prozap-Pack-...ocphy=9032751&hvtargid=pla-349920949624&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Garden-5-Per...wn-garden&sprefix=sevin,lawngarden,272&sr=1-4

 

[Canine and Co]

Thank you. The ex-bats have been with me now for about a year and they are all settled in.

I did wonder about my 5 year old that it was an age thing!

I dust them with red mite powder in the warmer months too and have a red mite trap in my coop so that I can see if there are any. Everything is fine on that score.

Thanks for the links / I’ll take a look.