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Barnyard Buddies:  What is wrong with my chickens?  |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 6:37:54 PM
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All summer, I might have gotten on average, about 8 eggs a day. I have almost 40 hens. Different ages from 6 months to going on 3 years. They are not molting. They all look good. Their combs are all nice and bright red. The past few weeks, I might get 2-4 eggs a day. SOme days nothing. Today, 1. I have them cooped til afternoon when they get let out to free range. I was giving them laying crumbles, scratch and scraps. I have quit the laying crumbles. I feel it's a waste of money if I'm not getting eggs. That stuff's not cheap.
And I know it's not the time of year or the weather. Because there is a guy up the road who has a refridgerator FULL of eggs he's selling for only $2 a dozen. I mean full of eggs. His chickens eat the smae thing mine do. A few miles away. And another friend is getting a dozen or so a day from their 20 or so hens.
So what's wrong with my hens?? I put ACV in their water. They get treats. I talk to them all the time. They get fresh straw in their nest boxes. Fresh clean water. I do not see broken egg shells so I know they aren't eating the eggs. I don't see a snake in their. I don't see anywhere else they could be laying eggs. Why aren't I getting eggs when everyone else is?
I am selling all my older hens so I will only have 18 6 month old hens now. And a rooster. Even with as many as I had, they are not crowded either. Or stressed.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2916 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2916 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 6:51:57 PM
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Kri
We have the same thing going on... 17 hens, 1-2 eggs a day if we are lucky....
very weird. I don't know what is going on. |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 6:59:49 PM
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2 things come to my mind that you should check. 1. Are they laying hens. I mean some hens only lay for a little while in the spring and pretty much only to produce chicks. Game chickens are like this. and 2. If hens are getting too much fiber and not enough protein it will slow their egg production. If they are a laying breed, then what I would do if I were you is feed them a ratio of 1/2 hen scratch 1/4 lay mash and 1/4 dry cat food. Be careful that any scraps you give them are more of the protein kind. Not beans though, they are poison to chickens. Another good thing to give chickens is clabbered milk. It is good protein and calcium, but it must be introduced slowly and a little at a time at first because it is very rich and can cause diarrhea.
Good luck Dear,
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 7:08:38 PM
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I give my chickens meat. And I make cheese so they get the whey or any milk that is soured. I have Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, Americana and Red Star. All layers. I had game hens and sold them all. They laid all the time. Great mommas but also great layers. These people who have hens laying all have the same kinds of chickens as I do. And when I sell my chickens they start laying for the new people. So mine must need to be swapped out with other hens who aren't laying. Maybe that'll get them to lay then?
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 7:23:57 PM
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Could your hens be laying somewhere besides the nest boxes?
Betty in Pasco |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 7:49:08 PM
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I'm with Betty, if they are out during the day, I would bet my life that they are laying in a really hidden spot some where on your property, it's non-easter egg hunt time...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2012 : 8:05:41 PM
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No, the hens are not out of their coop=run til late afternoon. I checked their run and don't see any signs of eggs. Now when they were out before I penned them up in the spring, I found eggs all over this farm. That was fun! But now they lay inside the coop. I do have one Red Star hen that gets out somehow and she lays her egg in the middle stall. I find it every time. And when they are let out of the coop, they are only in the fenced in sheep-chicken yard. I plugged all the big holes they could go through and clipped wing feathers so they can't fly over. And it is late afternoon. My hens lay early in the day that's why I wait to let them out.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 06:51:57 AM
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What breed are they, and how old? Some production breeds are spent in 2 years. Chickens are lactose intolerant.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 07:21:40 AM
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Trish, in my 2nd post I have what they are and how old they are. And I have been giving my chicknes whey for years now.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 07:26:47 AM
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cellulose is also useless to chickens.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 10:03:35 AM
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the days are getting shorter girls. some chickens are more sensitive to time change. they need their 16 hours of light. if their molt is triggered there is no going back. i know some think molt is a few weeks. but truly molt takes weeks and weeks. they lose different sections of feathers at a time. so i bet light. just my humble opinion.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 10:33:57 AM
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since your hens are 6 months to 3 years I bet some are because of older age slowing down in laying...I have 5 that are over 3 & only lay ever so often....since you are in Georgia you are still dealing with warm weather so I know its not because of temp changes yet....you mentioned treats...what are the treats?.....& is the scratch corn?........most don't know this but corn will heat up your chickens, its why its a great winter treat/scratch but in the hotter months it tends to make them too hot even if only given a bit....it takes a long time to break down & the sugars go into the body & need to be burned off, which creates heat....Hot chickens need to use their body now to try & keep cool so they will sometimes for go laying while they try to battle the heat from foods/feeds that have corn in them.......
also someone mentioned molting....yes that can occur so slow you don't even know its happening...you see a few feathers in the run or coop but don't think anything of it....its pretty early for any of the 6 month olds to be doing this but your ones over a year old could be in the process of a starting molt & that will stop laying.....late summer early fall is a good time to start getting in new feathers for the winters...even in Georgia they want new feathers to stay warm though it doesn't get as cold as say up here.....
Also does your coop stay cool during the day & night when its hot?...do they have some shade in the run......have you had a spell of no winds coming thur...still air can also make a chicken uncomfortable & go off laying....
since I have 2 hens in one coop that just hatched a few eggs my other 8 hens have decided to quit laying pretty much...I get only 2 eggs from that coop....my basement coop where another hen hatched 2 eggs, the same thing happened...the other 3 hens quit laying as well.......
Your farmer down the road may have less stressers going on in his flock so that may be why his are laying like crazy....do you have dogs/cats other animals? Have you been getting visits from wild animals at night? Even if you don't see them the smells they leave behind can scare a chicken & change her behavior........
Also with the fall coming in they could be eating more to create fat for the winter.........
So for me if this was happening I would remove any treats/scratch that had corn until its colder........up their calcium for the just in case some are molting.......I use human 100% calcium pills I grind up & add a teaspoon 2-3 times a week to the feed....I would also go buy some cheap tuna in water...they may have low omega 3 levels....for 20 chickens I open 2 cans & spread it out with the water in dishes so each gets a small bit & do this twice a week for 2 weeks.......I also change their water more often.
A cheap dry cat food is a good scratch mixed with dry oatmeal & even a bag of wild bird seed added to it.....just make sure the cat food is no more than 1/4 of the mix........too much dried cat food will cause the runs in a chicken because of the ash but if you can find one with a fish ingred in it they will get the omega oils they need as well as the proteins.....
also if you are like me & have easter eggers & mixed breeds with pure breeds you will have tons of changes going on with the birds that effect their laying......even an over eager roo can put a hen/s off laying or a cranky hen who is a bit bossy can change the others....
From what you are saying I can see you are being a good chicken mom but even that sometimes isn't going to work if you have hens who decide they just don't want to lay....
I also keep on hand a cheap type of cheerios that I will give, cause I see happy chickens when they get it.....happy chickens mean less problems sometimes...good luck dear hen....Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2012 : 3:37:05 PM
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I think it's the corn too. Why do they put corn in scratch anyway? They don't need it til it gets cold. I do notice at times the corn is still on the ground. Smart chickens! Haven't noticed any thing going on at night. I do have my ewes and 2 doelings in the same area as the chickens but they don't bother them. The chickens love the sheep and goat poop. They'll stand behind them when they are pooping and scratch away! It is getting cool at night now but hot during the day. I'm going to just stop giving them scratch and make my own with oats, wheat and sunflower seeds. I am mixing my dairy goat feed now too. No corn or soy in it now. Thank Michele.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2012 : 04:49:31 AM
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Whey contains caesin and lactose. quote:
Originally posted by kristin sherrill
Trish, in my 2nd post I have what they are and how old they are. And I have been giving my chicknes whey for years now.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4313 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4313 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2012 : 1:57:25 PM
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Some times they just take a break. Age, breed, are all factors. Corn just makes em fat. Like said it does help them stay warm in the winter. My biddies have kept laying this year. They are 2-3 years old. So I know they are about done. I too have always given them dairy products of one form or another, and have never had any problems. Give them time and they may start again. Or you could just get new chicks every year, and always have fresh layers. good luck
Michele |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2012 : 7:08:18 PM
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I think I'll give me chickens to the guy who's actually getting eggs from his and just egt eggs from him. Whole lot cheaper. And less headache too. That'll solve that problem!
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2012 : 11:26:46 AM
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I so love my chickens I could never give them up...lol.......laying or not I don't care...they bring me so much joy I can't image not having them....My Roo is molting...lost all his big pretty tail feathers :( so bet thats whats occurring with my girls & why everyone is off laying right now......Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2012 : 03:53:27 AM
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I sometimes get the same thing. With over 45 birds, you would think the nest boxes would be brimming with eggs.
If their laying ration is in the least bit "diluted" with extras like food scraps, or scratch grain, egg output will plummet.
This time of year, they may be starting to go through molt too or egg production might be affected by the drop in day length. They need 14-15 hours of sunlight.
If some people decide to cheat and keep a light on their birds, theu will continue to lay through the winter, but in the Spring, egg production won't be as high as what it ought to be. So best let the birds do what they need to do naturally and allow their syatems a rest.
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2012 : 03:55:49 AM
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There are some breeds too that are better suited for laying in hotter climates and some for cooler climates.
I have a mix of both |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2012 : 09:34:40 AM
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I have been thinking about this post a lot. so much good info from all the ladies. Very cool. I was thinking that even if the days are not getting short yet, if your henhouse is sort of dark or shady it might be affecting the light. They need 14 hours of light to really lay well. I put lights in my henhouse starting about now and leave them until march. If you hang a bulb with a timer in your henhouse and set it to come on at 5 am and go off at 7 pm then if it is a light problem you will see improvement within 2 weeks. Whether you choose to leave it or not it will at least give you an answer for future reference. Myself, with the cost of feed and the work I have to put into it I don't feel guilty one bit about giving them light to keep them laying all year. I don't really notice that it effects their laying in the spring or summer either. I feed my chickens vitamins and alfalfa hay and lay mash and poultry scratch, and other healthy scraps so they don't suffer from the year round laying. They also free range a lot. Our climate here probably could not be more different from yours. We have very long cold and snowy winters and the air is dry here. But I think the light issue would be something for you to look into. Don't give up yet, at least not till you get an answer as to why. Even if you get eggs from the fellow down the road you still wont be 100% sure what is going into them like you would with your own eggs. Timers cost about $5 or maybe a little more, but not much, and they are easy to use, just plug it into the extension cord or the outlet between the light and the outlet, super easy, and not very costly, just a plain old light bulb will do. Like one of the ladies also said you may want to check that they are not getting too hot during the day, proper air flow.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2012 : 07:05:02 AM
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The new issue of Backyard Poultry says look at your FLAWS
F-Feed
L-lights
A-air
W-water
S-space
The article also noted that birds that are overweight won't lay, or will lay double yolkers.. Nothing makes birds fatter than scratch and table scraps.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2012 : 09:47:47 AM
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I cheat and use a solar light that points into the coop from outside
No plugging in and no possible fires to worry about from a bulb over heating. The bulb is LED. Light is light right!?
Or is this wrong
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2012 : 2:36:15 PM
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If it works I guess it's right..lol
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
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OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2012 : 8:41:51 PM
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it seems to me that if you are not letting your chickens out until afternoon, I'll bet they are eating them. Go in and
check several times earlier in the morning, around 9 am, and then 11 am, just to see if there are eggs or maybe put
your hand in the nests and see if its "sticky". Also I have experienced rats and/or snakes eating eggs, too. Here in
No. IL someone flipped a switch and I'm not hardly getting anything now - went from lots of eggs and what to do with
them to hardly any now - I have chickens all ages. |
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Barnyard Buddies: What is wrong with my chickens? |
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What is wrong with my chickens?
