Why won't my hens lay anymore

[Conman]

How old are they if they are preety old the they will stop laying that is called spent mabwy they are

 

[Conman]

Try to put golf balls or fake eggs trust me as long as they are not broody you should do that they will lay there.

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

So glad you found them. All of the comments before were what I have experienced when my girls stopped laying...once it was because we moved the coop, another time it was because they weren't getting enough sunlight due to time change, another time it was because I removed the rooster, etc.

 

[CraigJemy]

Great news that you found their secret stash. It is possible that rats have had some of the eggs away. Considering the time of year you should find that most of those eggs will still be edible...... Eggs are usually good for a month or two. Crack each one open into a container before dropping them into the pan. You can do a float test by placing them in a jug of tepid water. If they lie on the bottom of the jug they are still very fresh, older ones will start to lift off the bottom with the fat end but are still good, those that float are the oldest and whilst they may still be good to eat, use caution when cracking them..... very old eggs that are rotten inside can explode. If when cracked, it looks OK and smells OK, I is OK to eat.

Yes they need access to layer pellets from morning until night. Go easy on anything else and that includes mixed corn, bread etc ....much as they love it.... it can make them fat over time and that causes health issues and laying problems.

They do look very happy in their new home though. So sad that the industry calls time on them when they are still so young. I hope they bring you lots of joy. They are great birds often with quite cheeky personalities

Do you have plans to sell their eggs once they are back up to full production? You might find that they are reluctant to abandon their current laying habit and you have to block off access to it in order for them to create a new habit of laying somewhere else. If you are building free standing nest box, making them enclosed with a good lip on the front and even hanging curtains (strips of feed bags stapled to the top) to make them dark will make them more attractive. You don't really want them laying somewhere that they sleep and poop.

Do you have roost bars in the coop for them to roost on at night. It is healthier and more natural for them to roost rather than sleep in a pile on the floor although that habit might now be hard to break. They will also enjoy a perch bar or two in the run. They are very curious creatures and having things to stimulate them really improves the quality of their life. Hanging a cabbage up or spent brussel sprout plants will give them a healthy treat. If you are on an allotment I imagine there will be plenty of brussel sprout plants being thrown on compost piles and chickens will strip them to a single stalk. I do his with mine and then give the woody stalks to my horses to crunch up.... I call it reprocessing and the manure goes back to the gardeners.

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Thank you! I did the water test with them an they are viable, still very fresh actually I poached two of them this morning they were delicious! I do have a roost bar in the coop for them but after reading what you wrote I will add some more and also build a little play area for them out of pallets to keep them entertained a little more.

Thank you for the advice.

How old are they if they are preety old the they will stop laying that is called spent mabwy they are

They are around two years old right now.

Try to put golf balls or fake eggs trust me as long as they are not broody you should do that they will lay there.

I will try that when I have built a laying box for them, thanks for the advice!

So glad you found them. All of the comments before were what I have experienced when my girls stopped laying...once it was because we moved the coop, another time it was because they weren't getting enough sunlight due to time change, another time it was because I removed the rooster, etc.

Thank you! It was getting quite frustrating I can tell you I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong and thought it had to be a combination of things, I'm just glad it's easily fixable and I can improve the quality of their lives some more. I'm looking into a way to maybe solar power a small light because I have no electricity on the land there, I have a car battery I can use so I will look into that too.


Thanks for the help guys, my girls owe you!

I will start a thread with my updates soon, kind regards.