My chckens are 5 months old and started laying at 15 weeks. I was getting 4-6 eggs a day. This week they stopped laying. I got 1 egg. Why did they stop laying, and now what do I do?
WHAT IS WRONG?
hey jkj, how is your puppy? been thinking of you...
they do that someitmes. some say it's the weather, i say the moon affects their cycles [and the moon affects the weather]. a week does seem like a long time though.... i suppose you looked for a hidden nest?
also, what are you feeding them, and how are they free ranging...?
i hope to have time this week to address the difference in a chicks diet and a pullets diet...
tf
they get laying crumbles and scratch.
they have a fenced in 12x20 yard attached to thier coop.
my puppy is better thanks
Your lucky Mine are 6 months old and haven't started laying YET! I'm beginning to think their sterile LOL or all roosters one.
My layers, and just about everyone else's around here are hardly laying. The Amish say that August is always that way and they will probably start moulting and take a while to recover. And lo...feathers everywhere and very Ugly birds. Is it possible that they are just holding out on you until laying season starts again? 15wks seems very young to me, but if they started in prime weather and then decided to bag it until they were older and the weather better? Mine have gotten down to 1 egg every 3 days/bird at their worst, but they are older. 3 hens at about 22 weeks that haven't started yet. Or perhaps you switched feeds on them (or the formula got changed) at about the time when everybody is slowing down anyway?
3 things slow laying for me -changing feed, changing weather, not getting enough food for some reason(mainly cats).
Pullets should lay for approx 18mos before their 1st molt. August is generally hotter everywhere, so maybe it is the heat - or as TF says, the moon, which mandates the weather... Heat can do it. Any stress can do it...
I'm with grownut on the 3 things; however, adding one more & that is lack of water even for a little while. But, my older birds will only stop laying for 2-3days, then back at it....
Have one brown egg layer that stop for a month for some reason. She is still a pullet; but laid one today. Boy was I surprised when I found it in the feed this afternoon! That's the only place she has ever laid her eggs. Thought maybe she just wasn't gonna give anymore. She is a JG cross with something else - not sure what breed. Figured maybe the cross was not a good one? My Ameracauna (Easter-egger) lays almost daily and my other JG cross lays a white egg every other day.
These are the only standard pullets I kept from last years incubating. All are together and all get the same water, feed, etc. Only lack of water - it froze a few times last winter - slowed the egg production. These birds are separated from the rest of my flocks in a pen, as they have some weird feather mite thing going on I just can't get rid of. Think you got it licked, & now they eat each others feathers. They look horrid, but are comfortable & still laying. Figure I will wait till fall when they start molting, then cull.
This is just from what I have seen with my own birds in 6 years or so. I am by no means an authority. Just trial & (lots of) error.
Cheryl ~ Pea
Check for any place they could be hiding them. I thought mine had stopped laying once and then found almost 60 eggs in a hole under the chicken coop.
hmm, grownut, good piont, August is not a "fruitful" month...
thanks everyone, i'll be patient and not make dumplings. do you think they miss their roo they grew up with?
well of COURSE! don't they have a roo to make them feel safe and cared for?
this morning i was htinking of your pullets. once we had a long power outage, and after resetting everything in OUR house, i neglected to reset the timer the hen house lights were on. so the lights were messed up and it affected their laying.
do you have lights, and could the timing be off? their system responds to light. a series of cloudy days can even throw them off. try a white light for 14 hours. come on a couple hours before sunrise and off maybe one hour after dark...
tf
tf, they have windows, no light!they won't let another roo in either
do you have electircity, try a light?
they are outside all day until dark.
when they were laying, they laid between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm
hmm, just thinking since we are nearing fall, daylight hours are shrinking and they do need 14 hours... you bieng in the south i htink you have less hours than in the north... anyhow, it was just a guess. do let us know when you figure it out, or when THEY do LOL...
jordankittyjo,
This is not real common (from my experience) for pullets to just stop. Toss 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper in their feed for a few days. That ought to kick start them. This is not the normal behavior. Have you been experiencing high daily temperature readings in the mid to high 90's or over 100f? Hot weather has slowed chickens down but pullets are reputed to lay straight through. Good luck.
Kelly in Moxee
kelly, they were laying fine when it was in the hundreds, and just quit when it got in the 80s and 90s. i will try the pepper.
thanks,
kathy
Ummmm Kathy...The temp changes will do it.. as will the Full of the Moon...This is the Corn Moon to my people, and things slow in prep for Harvest...To Northern tribes it is also called the Sturgeon Moon...
You are south, and the corn is about ready...I wouldn't worry...Mother has her ways of regulating things...even Chickens...
jordankittyjo,
The temp changes are certainly a possibility. I suspect they just need some time to adjust to the temp swings. The temp changes are stressfull ... most folks learn these facts fairly soon. My birds are all 2-3 yr old layers ... I get a few eggs a day out of 18 hens now ... nothing to brag about but ... next year I'll get some replacements. I'll only be feeding 12 chickens + the guineas and ducks over the winter.
Kelly
thanks guys, so i won't be making dumplings
that is to funny, last night we had baked chicken and my daughter told my GS it came from our chickens. He got this horrible look on his face. He was mortified. I told him they are to little to eat right now. So when we do got to do freezer camp he wont be here.
LOL tia, too funny.
He is such a picky eater anyway, and his mom didnt help there.
OHHHH answers to why my girls are not laying... I have looked for a hidden spot but could not find anywhere... Maybe its the moon, maybe its the heat but alteast I know I am not alone...
Honey, you have sooo much company, you might start feeling claustrophobic!!
Well then I am in GREAT company......
MissJestr, The heat must be the problem for your chickens. You guys have serious heat in Kingman.
One of my better friends from college was from Kingman. He lives nr Denver now but has lots of family in Kingman today. I've been through Kingman a dozen times going or coming ... usually on the way to Sedona or the Grand Canyon. My wife and I got married there 20 yrs ago this fall. We like the Oak Creek canyon there and Flagstaff too.
Kelly in Moxee
Yep last week was really hot, but now we are getting back to our normal 95 or so... I really wished we had gotten more rain during the past few weeks but we didn't. I cant wait till August is over, it is normally our hottest. I am thankful that I live outside of Kingman as I am a few degrees cooler, but not much... I go for business up to Flag once a month, I love it up there, and want to retire in Williams, Oak Creek has become too comercial for me..
Congrats Kelly on the 20 years...
I got two eggs tonight, they both layed eggs....I am doing the chicken happy dance...
i'm glad someone is getting eggs