Laying, have your chooks stopped?

[minskey]

I only had 5 eggs from my chooks today. Eggs have dropped over the last 10 days from 10 to 14 per day to the 5 today.

I am stumped as to why; no mites. Had a couple with lice but I treated them and they are fine now.

I did wonder if it is the change of pelletts. I changed from my usual to a 'free range' type which I was told has less protien. One other thought, my girls seem to spend a lot of time lounging around under trees and not scratching; could the be overfed. Oh another though [three in one day, miracle ]they have had a lot of fallen apples too lately...........................

[VirginVegGrower]

Nope not yet.

[Glutton4...]

I'm getting between 2 and 4 a day. Most of my old Batties have stopped laying. My new Batties are growing feathers, and the rest are blimmin' lazy! Apart from the Geese, but they're both Fellas!

It would be much much cheaper to buy eggs, but now I've had my own, I can't bring myself to eat 'sub-standard' eggs!

[Nicos]

Very poor lay rate from mine too...I'd have expected more than twice what we're getting!

My geese/layers/cockerels/fattening cockerels and 5 week old chicks are all eating the same farmyard nosh.
Not ideal I know- but me thinks this is affecting the egg laying

[RichmondHens]

Are they pure breeds? Ours all slow down/stop about now as it's the time for moulting. I've got a few youngsters hatched this year who are starting up now and my bantams lay year round so I've still got plenty of eggs, but most of the hens hatched prior to 2011 have now stopped for a rest. Even the cocks are moulting, several of them tail-less, which looks really funny. Actually the few hens that are still going are mostly oldies - my five year old is still laying most days. She is a bionic hen!

If they are young hybrids however they shouldn't really be stopping although they may not be liking the recent horrible weather. And the days are significantly shorter now and that will make a difference.

[Glutton4...]

The only one of mine that lays regularly, the remaining one of last year's hatch, is broody. Maybe I need some bantams...

[petal]

yes - ours are starting to slow down somewhat. I am looking for a couple of nice robust hybrids point of lay to see us through the winter when the posh snobs really slow down. I fancy a speckledy and a black rock.

[Suechooks]

My 12 hybrids are still managing 5 or 6 a day (even 8 on occasion) which I think is pretty good as all bar one are in at least their 3rd laying season. The pure breeds are another thing! One has the sole Hubbard chick, another Silkie has gone broody today as has Phoebe the Buff Orp bantam. Of the rest I think the Welsummer has given up altogether and the bantams lay week on week off! Am hoping the Barnevelder and Cream Legbar start this year as they are now 22 weeks. Then the Partridge Orps and Marans should be up for it in the Spring!
I usually buy in a couple of hybrids at this time of year but really haven't got the room this time so we'll just have to manage with what we've got!

[minskey]

Cheers for that. I thought it was only mine which had slowed down & thought I was doing something wrong.

I think I will cut down on the treat for a few days and go back to normal as opposed to free range pellets, hopefully the added protien will help the moult too.

m

[petal]

suechooks - I reckon our lack of eggs is logically speaking down to all the broodies! I have found a place near by that stocks bog standard brown hens so going to collect 3 in 2 weeks so that they can be kept specifically for eggs, I reckon the OH might start questioning my chicken fixation(as he calls it) otherwise.......

[Suechooks]

suechooks - I reckon our lack of eggs is logically speaking down to all the broodies! I have found a place near by that stocks bog standard brown hens so going to collect 3 in 2 weeks so that they can be kept specifically for eggs, I reckon the OH might start questioning my chicken fixation(as he calls it) otherwise.......

I'm sure you're right Petal. Trouble is mine keep changing their minds! I've one who's stayed put but the other has decided she really doesn't want to sit in the coop I moved her to and has gone back into the nest box where I really DON'T want her! If I can persuade her to sit in a broody coop then I'll get some more Hubbard eggs between her and Phoebe and the incubator. Otherwise its the golf balls again I'm afraid!
I'm lucky and have 2 places within a couple of miles who stock all sorts of laying hybids as well as pure breeds so can get at short notice but I need to rationalise what I've got and not make any more purchases just yet!

[nmayhew]

dropped off a lot in past 2 weeks
2 eggs a day from 4 Light Sussex...

[jessmorris]

Mine have dropped off laying massively. They may also be laying out as most of the nestboxes are taken up by broodies at the mo.....

[NettyUK]

Mine never started! We average two eggs a day from four birds, one soft special each week, and one other - these are obviously from Aggie and Winnie! Aggie's off the hook - Blogs - The Grapevine

[OverWyreGrower]

My pure breeds look like ex-batts at the moment, they are that bare!