Why did my chickens stopped laying

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I was worried maybe they get to much protein, because I mix laying pallets(16%) with feather fixer (18%) With some cracked corn thrown in and then they get a good helping of meal worms everyday. Our winters here get so so cold there are weeks that the nights will be in the -30s and the days don’t get much above 0, so I wanted them to have plenty during the winter, so I just started adding in some sunflower seed and oat into the mix because I was worried they would get way to fat. What ya think, did that mess something up?
Thank you! We love them. They are Blue copper Marans

Sunflower seeds are fatty and should be used sparingly.

I like a 18% protein ration. I feed mine year round.

Catch one and feel the keel bone on the chest. It should be prominent, but not too much. Marans generally don't lay a lot in my experiences.

 

[Rach85]

It sounds like you may be overfeeding them. Fat chickens will have more egg laying problems. I was feeding extra scratch and BOSS over winter and the birds did fine, but as soon as it warmed up, they got slower on laying. The 2 that were butchered to make room for new layers had so much inner fat that I think that was the problem.

Maybe cut back a little on the high protein and treats.

This is definitely a worry I had, that’s why I cut their feed with some sunflower seed and oats so that the protein isn’t quite so high, but maybe I need to cut more out, less meal worms. If I stopped the meal worms all together I think they would break into my house and kill me in my sleep

 

[Rach85]

Sunflower seeds are fatty and should be used sparingly.

I like a 18% protein ration. I feed mine year round.

Catch one and feel the keel bone on the chest. It should be prominent, but not too much. Marans generally don't lay a lot in my experiences.

Oh i didn’t know that about sunflower seeds, I only looked up their proteins percentage, didn’t really look at the rest of the nutritional values.
It was interesting because they were laying really good, and then just kinda stoped over a day or two.

 

[Rach85]

Just keep them on a decent chicken ration, cut out all the extras, and plenty of fresh plain water.

Do you free range?
Marans are not stellar layers.
They should not be molting yet, another couple-few months(aug-sept).

Is it hot where you are?
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View attachment 2202758

No we’re actually on the colder side. I’m in southern Colorado. We don’t really see anything higher than high 80 in the summer, but get down to -30s in the winter. Right now we have been I only let them free range when I can be out side with them, usually a few hours a day.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh i didn’t know that about sunflower seeds, I only looked up their proteins percentage, didn’t really look at the rest of the nutritional values.
It was interesting because they were laying really good, and then just kinda stoped over a day or two.

I didn't realize it initially either until we butchered some young turkeys and they were internally fat. They loved sunflower seeds and at the time I didn't see a reason to not give them daily.

Internal fat can lead to prolapses, and other problems in laying hens. I do feed some sunflowers seeds daily, just not so many.

 

[Rach85]

I didn't realize it initially either until we butchered some young turkeys and they were internally fat. They loved sunflower seeds and at the time I didn't see a reason to not give them daily.

Internal fat can lead to prolapses, and other problems in laying hens. I do feed some sunflowers seeds daily, just not so many.

I will definitely have to significantly cut back on the sunflower seeds. I feed 1 cup of feed/head/day. What do you feed?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I will definitely have to significantly cut back on the sunflower seeds. I feed 1 cup of feed/head/day. What do you feed?

I mix sunflower seeds with cracked and whole corn. I throw out about 1-2 coffee cans a day to around 80-100 birds. I think a can is around 2-3 pounds. I toss out less in warmer months and a bit more in winter when I want a bit more fat and calories. It's mixed to around 3 parts corn to one part sunflower seeds. I think. It's pretty automatic these days.

 

[RojoMarz]

I will definitely have to significantly cut back on the sunflower seeds. I feed 1 cup of feed/head/day. What do you feed?

Are you saying you feed 1 cup of sunflower seed, per bird, per day. Or is that 1 cup of pellet per day?

My girls have unlimited access to layer crumbles. They also get about 1 tbs of meal worms, split between 7 pullets, plus free range time, daily.

Where abouts in So Colorado are you? I'm in Weston, CO.

 

[Rach85]

Are you saying you feed 1 cup of sunflower seed, per bird, per day. Or is that 1 cup of pellet per day?

My girls have unlimited access to layer crumbles. They also get about 1 tbs of meal worms, split between 7 pullets, plus free range time, daily.

Where abouts in So Colorado are you? I'm in Weston, CO.

No it’s not all sunflower seed. It’s a mix of layer pellets, feather fixer, cracked corn, sunflower seeds and oats that I give a cup pre hen/day. I don’t have the meal worms mixed in with what I spread out. I give about a 1/4 of meal worms pre hen/day . My girls don’t get as much free range though, at the moment our neighbors have seen a young mountain lion and we had a bear attack a dog not far from us, so I keep them pretty close. I live in the San Luis Valley.

 

[aart]

layer pellets, feather fixer

This should be available in a feeder every hour they are awake as free feed.
You want them to eat more of this than anything else.

cracked corn, sunflower seeds and oats

These should be given sparingly as a 'treat'.

Is it hot where you are, I assume they have plenty of fresh plain water always available??

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!