My girls stopped laying back in June. I assumed it was the heat. They were all about 28 months old at the time. I sort of thought this might be normal considering the heat. Yesterday I noticed that one of my girls is really getting skinny. She eats & drinks, but her comb is pale. They have all been molting the last month or so. One of the workers at Western Ranchman told me she didn't think it was normal for them to stop laying for so long.
Did anyone else experience a no lay summer?
It is possible I had a rat eating the eggs early in the summer, but I think we got rid of him/them (or effectively blocked their passage into the hen house.)
Only one of my girls has a bright red comb, but she is molting.
I am thinking worms?? Maybe?
Based on extensive research I am doing a 2 part worming treatment. Today I started them on Wazine 17 for 24 hours. I will follow that up with Panacur in 10 days.
I am curious and interested in any feedback anyone has.
Also, I have 4 week old baby girls that will be moved to the larger hen house in a few weeks. (we are building a retirement home for the other 3). I need/want to sterilze the old coop. Anyone have experience with that too?
Hugs & Thanks !!!
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I had to put lamps on mine because the day just wasn't long enough. I give them 14 hours of light and 10 hours of dark. I got eggs the very next day after adding lamps (just regular bulbs, nothing fancy).
My hens have also slowed down quite a bit. I've had chickens for over 15 years and never had this little production! They are less than 2 years old.
My theory: I am kind of freaked out about GMO (especially with corn and soy, which is in most chick feeds), after going to a seminar on it a few months ago. It is proven to cause sterility and makes sense that it could be the culprit in declining egg production.
My Solution: I have ordered organic feed and am getting new chicks that will ONLY be fed organic. I guess I'll find out if it makes a difference.
In the meantime, I may try the light idea. It's worth a try!
I'm not saying it's the reason, but I feed soy and corn free organic feed and my 4 chickens are still giving me 3-4 eggs a day. I don't use supplemental light.
Hmmmm...interesting, how old are your hens?
They're just over 1 year old but my 2 year olds were laying well through the summer too. (Until they died in August due to an idiot that said he would take care of my chickens while I was out of town and then didn't! They ran out of water. I'm still mad about it)
Oh Becky I am so sorry, that is HORRIBLE & cruel. I cannot believe someone would do that to your chickens. You must have been heartbroken.
Even when I have a chicken sitter I use a 3 gallon h2o & 2 gallons (total of 5 galls. for 4 hens) . I am so afraid of having a water tipped over or having a sitter with an emergency who doesn't show up.
I'm not sure what part of town you are in, but if you are near central Scottsdale I would be happy to look in on your girls for you next time. Even if its just to make sure your sitter is doing their job.
I hope that idiot chicken sitter has a major karmic slap in the face!
How sad, Becky :(
Worms are possible, but depending on breeds they may also just have stopped in summer and then molted and then daylight got short and cued them to stop laying. Try adding a light in the coop on a timer that comes on around 4am. Bright red combs are a visual cue for males to mate them, when they aren't laying, they usually turn back to a pink color. Super pale and skinny isn't a good sign. Worms is a possibility, but generally you will see worms in the droppings if the infestation is severe.
Cleaning the old coop just involves getting out all of the bedding and cleaning all surfaces thoroughly with the disinfectant of your choice. It's possible that things remain in the soil, but I wouldn't advocate attempting to sterilize that...
Rachael, I forgot about the comb color cue. Thank you. Although it sounds like one of her girls is not well besides.
Hello Beth,
I have 12 hens and now that they are molting, I get about 6 to 7, sometimes 8 eggs a day. I've been giving them freeze dried mealworms for extra protein as I read that protein helps the hens get through the molting period much faster. They also get organic scratch (2 cups in a.m. and 2 cups in p.m.) and organic lay pellets, along with sunflower seeds (1/2 cup) fruit and/or veggies daily.
In the summer, I would get 11 eggs a day, minus one at times. I bought a cheap mister, along with using a fan in their area, and I think that made a big difference in egg production. They were all very comfortable. I read that the heat is really hard on them and they do much better in the winter. I do add warm water to their container when it gets cold as they drink much more that way. I also add a few drops of a probiotic in their water at times, to keep their immune system working well. I have organic grass that I let them out on daily and I make sure they get plenty of sunshine. I am 61 years old and have the time to go overboard on my girls. Our two sons are grown and gone, so having the chickens, along with 4 dogs and my rehab business for horses, I am enjoying myself very much! My 7 year old granddaughter loves to come over here too! Along with a few other children from my neighborhood, so I'm plenty busy, but I LOVE it!!
Keep us posted.
Linda Schneerer
www.bitoheavenfarm.com
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