Why am I only getting 10 eggs a day with 40 hens?

[GC-Raptor]

My mom used to buy Blue Seal laying mash in a 100# burlap sack and cracked corn in 100# sack. I remember tossing that over my shoulder as an older teen. I struggle to toss a 40# bag these days.
Most feed today starts as ground grains and legumes. Corn and Soybeans are popular, but so is wheat, canola and some contain flaxseed for added Omega 3. As well as Grain By-Products.
That is called mash. They can dump that into a device to make pellets. If you want crumbles they partially crush the pellets.
Some like Scratch & Peck are mostly whole grains and legumes.
All complete feeds have added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. GC

 

[speckledhen]

Doughboy, maybe I spelled it wrong ?Doboy? IDk..
I believe it was a large chicken or feed company back then.
they brought chicks and feed to my uncle.
he would raise them for a certain length of
time and then the company would bring in
trucks and load up the chickens and haul them to butcher facilities.
then a guy would pay my uncle for the manure and come in and clean out the barns.
my uncle would take a week off and maybe take a trip, or do nothing.
get the barns ready and receive more chicks.

Sounds like what my grandfather did, but I have no idea which company he raised for, not anything I cared about as a kid. Maybe that company you mentioned was in your neck of the woods, not here on the east coast. Anyway, doesn't matter.

I think most folks here on BYC, not all, but more, are backyard hobbyists and most got chickens for eggs, primarily. Some butcher their hens, some don't. Some rotate stock, some don't. Some like them for their pet value, some don't go that route.

I used to be overrun with eggs when we had larger numbers of young birds years ago, 55 chickens was our highest number, which included 3-4 roosters at the time, but since we have so many hens who are very old and don't lay regularly, some not at all, we must occasionally buy eggs plus feed non-productive pets. I figure they're animals, not machines *(note my sig line), and I can't make them produce every time I want them to so I make concessions for them. I like them as pets as much as a dog because they produce something we can eat, they know their names and a good bit of vocabulary, can learn commands to a degree, some better than dogs I've had, and they also provide usable fertilizer for our gardens, unlike dogs. If they don't lay, well, I don't like not having their awesome eggs to use, but I live with it.

I do have plans to change up my management in the future. I quit buying hatchery hens years ago because of all the reproductive malfunctions, but they were good layers until their bodies betrayed them. I may get a few hatchery hens again, but not the common production types that died on me, one after the other. That is very frustrating after awhile. It is not easy to euthanize your pets. We plan to do the all-day free range route again to lessen the feed bill as well. But, that will take some time to change up my stock and for the old gals to die off. Shouldn't be very long, not as old as many of them are, though they are generally all quite healthy at the moment. That's the upside and the downside of better stock--they live longer....and, they live longer, much longer, if you get what I'm saying.

Hope everyone starts getting eggs within the next month or so. Seems mine take a break in the late fall and begin laying in the dead of winter, for some reason.

 

[speckledhen]

My mom used to buy Blue Seal laying mash in a 100# burlap sack and cracked corn in 100# sack. I remember tossing that over my shoulder as an older teen. I struggle to toss a 40# bag these days.
Most feed today starts as ground grains and legumes. Corn and Soybeans are popular, but so is wheat, canola and some contain flaxseed for added Omega 3. As well as Grain By-Products.
That is called mash. They can dump that into a device to make pellets. If you want crumbles they partially crush the pellets.
Some like Scratch & Peck are mostly whole grains and legumes.
All complete feeds have added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. GC

Haha, I lift weights to be able to toss a 50# bag over my shoulder and hoof it to the barn, hold it while I use one hand to open the metal can to toss it into-I told that to my doctor, who looked like I was nuts. I thought she'd be impressed, silly me! (I'm 61). I couldn't do that when I was in my 20's and 30's. Chickens have been good for me!

I've never seen Scratch & Peck. I think I'm in the wrong area of the country.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Haha, I lift weights to be able to toss a 50# bag over my shoulder and hoof it to the barn, hold it while I use one hand to open the metal can to toss it into-I told that to my doctor, who looked like I was nuts. I thought she'd be impressed, silly me! (I'm 61). I couldn't do that when I was in my 20's and 30's. Chickens have been good for me!

I've never seen Scratch & Peck. I think I'm in the wrong area of the country.

Yeah they're on the west coast. I think they're organic and have some formulas without soy and maybe corn. I don't buy it. I stick to pellets for my hens. GC

 

[GC-Raptor]

Haha, I lift weights to be able to toss a 50# bag over my shoulder and hoof it to the barn, hold it while I use one hand to open the metal can to toss it into-I told that to my doctor, who looked like I was nuts. I thought she'd be impressed, silly me! (I'm 61). I couldn't do that when I was in my 20's and 30's. Chickens have been good for me!

I've never seen Scratch & Peck. I think I'm in the wrong area of the country.

I should be lifting weights myself. GC

 

[cavemanrich]

I should be lifting weights myself. GC

Different peeps use different weights. These are my weights of preference when in the back yard watching CHICKEN TV.....

 

[speckledhen]

Different peeps use different weights. These are my weights of preference when in the back yard watching CHICKEN TV.....
View attachment 1201435

Even if I liked beer, I somehow doubt that would help me heft a 50# feed bag, LOL.

 

[3riverschick]

I've been reading this thread and thinking about the original poster poster. I'm interested in what she said about a slow molt among her Birds . I am thinking this may be part of the problem. if her birds are over 16 weeks old , I think she should put them on Nutrena Feather Fixer feed. not only will they grow better feathers , but the birds may lay through the molt like one of mine did.
Best,
Karen
In Western Pennsylvania USA

 

[3riverschick]

Only 2 of my 6 chickens have even started laying yet! They’re 31
Weeks

Well it just may be the strain of chickens. I had some Light Sussex that didn't start laying till they were 39 weeks. Did a breeding on those birds and their children started laying at 35 weeks . it just depends on the bird. do you have them on layer feed?
Best,
Karen

 

[aart]

Different peeps use different weights. These are my weights of preference when in the back yard watching CHICKEN TV.....
View attachment 1201435

And just before you make those wise cracking, multi font posts?