Where have all the Eggs Gone!!!

[kmmp]

could be...I don't want to cull them just yet. I am going to try a battery operated light and see if that works.

 

[el_leafo]

My chooks have also stopped laying!

We have three R.I. Red X Wyandotte hens, about 1 year old. They were great layers until about three months ago, when they all started brooding. Brooded for about two months, then one by one stopped brooding and are now acting normal, but still no eggs.

One of them started laying again for about a week then stopped again.

One of them has lost a lot of feathers recently (moulting? Or plucked out by herself/others?).

At least one of them is doing pretty sloppy poos. They all seem a little bit on the skinny side. But they all have good appetites and are eating a normal amount.

They have plenty of sunlight (I'm in Australia and it's summer) and they free range all day in our big backyard. They have nice dust baths that they seem to enjoy. They have fresh water every day.

The only explanation I can think of is food, but I have tried different food mixes from different suppliers, both layer pellets and scratch, and I also give them vegetable scraps. Nothing has made a difference.

They are nice pets and picturesque to have around the garden, but would be even better if they produced some eggs!

Any ideas? I would really appreciate some help!

I just read about the cayenne pepper idea and will try that. Any other foods or supplements that may help?

 

[cmom]

Are you sure that they aren't laying? Maybe they have found a hiding place. Even though I have several nest boxes, there are two that get used the most. When one starts laying in a special hiding place the others could be too.

 

[el_leafo]

Thanks for the idea... One of them did do that a while ago. Found a stash of seven or eight eggs.

However I had a really thorough search yesterday and nothing to be found.

I have made some changes to their diet though, and already one of them has laid an egg! Yippee!

I found a book by Juliette Baraclai-Levy about using herbs for raising healthy happy poultry, and have started giving them comfre, kelp and a few other things. So far so good!

Has anyone else read her book? Tried it?

(Maybe I need to start another thread).

 

[Chickin Cowboy75]

How old do the chickins get before they stop laying?

 

[el_leafo]

Yippee! Three eggs today! Either the comfrey and kelp worked wonders or it was a coincidence... I also gave them more veges than usual and less grain.

Hope it lasts!