Why aren't my hens laying!?

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I give them most of what I weed out from the 1 acre garden to them, I give them almost every single scrap (excluding onions and garlic) that we use for cooking and salads to them, I get them fresh water every single day, they have a nice secure coop + a Great Pyr. to guard them, they have over 20' by 12' foot coop + a 12' by 10' foot run, and I clean out their coop every 3 or 4 weeks.

I cleaned out their coop just this morning, cleaned out their roosting pits completly (boy was that a messy job), cleared all the leftover greens out from the other day, got them fresh dirt for their dust bathing area's, filled all the nesting boxes with fresh grass hay, and gave them some yummy strawberry tops and left over lettuce from lunch for a snack.

Anyone got any suggestions to help get my hens laying again? It's not even that hot out!!!

So why aren't they laying?!

 

[beachchickie]

I can't wait to see the responses. I have a hen that is usually a good layer. She now lays every third day if I beg nicely. What gives?

 

[ranchhand]

How old are they, and what breeds?
Are you sure they aren't hiding them somewhere? (A friend's chickens were laying on top of the coop ceiling)
Any chance you have a snake or something else stealing them? (We've stopped 7 snakes so far this year. Egg production is much higher now)

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't see a "layer" feed in the post. Chickens need a balanced diet to lay well. Plus garlic won't hurt them, in fact it is good for them.
Recently I learned I'm giving my birds to much scratch. Who knew this could result in a picking problem?
Make a check list of what the probem "might" be and then go down the list eliminating each thing one by one.

Wishing you the best

Rancher

 

[tmb3fan]

You didn't mention it, are you feeding laying pellets too? If all they eat are veggies, they probably aren't getting enough protein to lay an egg.

Mine were laying great until I backed off on their feed for the summer. Now I get about 4 eggs a day as I was getting 12. I backed off on the feed because they free range all day. But they obviously don't get enough from free ranging to keep up egg production, or they have resorted to laying in the woods.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I forgot to say that.

I do feed them 22% layer feed every morning.

I have.............

2 EE hens (almost 5 y/o's. Don't expect to them to lay at all but one is my Grand Champion and she and her sister are really close. Can't bear to sell them or split them apart)

2 BR hens (almost 4 y/o's. Don't expect them to lay but they still do every once in awhile)

4 RIR hens (The oldest isn't even 2 y/o's!!)

1 BSL hen (She's only 1 year and 2 months old)

2 RIR x RSL crosses (They are only 8 months old!!!)

I can't see where they could be hiding their eggs! -scratches head in bewilderment- Now if they were in the old coop I would have to go for a easter egg hunt everyday.

It could be a snake but I check their vents and they're very dry. Not big, puffy, and soft like a laying hen's vent is supposed to be if they are laying.

*Update* I've seen 1 of the BR's hen's, the 4 RIR's hen's, & the RIR x RSL cross pullets scratching and sitting in the nesting boxes in the past few days. Hopefully I start getting some eggs within the next week or so.

 

[kudzu vine]

Since there are so many posts, I'll share again. I let mine free range during the day in a secured area. I don't feed first thing. Late afternoon before I put them up, I feed mainly laying pellets and some cracked corn with oyster shells. I also hung a 15w light in their house that stays on 24/7, because some won't come out of house until late morning. I went from virtually 0 eggs to every hen laying. I also give them treats. But I think higher % of laying pellets and the light has made the difference.

 

[Opa]

Are you sure it's layer that you are feeding? 22% protein is much to high. Typically layer feed is 16%.