Stopped Laying!

[RedBarnHens]

Good morning all. Sorry for my long absence. Sadly my husband passed away suddenly in July and as you can imagine I haven't felt much in the mood for chatting.

Anyway, my chickens have grown beautifully since they arrived on the first of June (6 hybrids) and egg production has been going full swing. I have gone through a few different drinkers and now settled on a bucket with nipples at the bottom, which eradicates the problem of them muddying the drinking water.

My big problem now is that for the last 3 days they have stopped laying completely. I was wondering if it was stress because even though I check their food every day (it's in a treadle feeder) I hadn't noticed that they had scratched up the flooring in their run and it had been impacted under the treadle so they couldn't access their food. They may have gone a day without their pellets but had their usual greens in the late afternoon. I've rectified the situation now so it won't happen again, but since then I had 4 eggs the next day and then none! Also normally when I go up to the run in the afternoon with their 'tea' they usually flock around me, but the last few days they haven't been that interested. It's time for me to worm them again now so I'll mix the flubenvet tomorrow.

Do you think it is stress that has stopped them laying? They all look pretty healthy.

 

[dinosaw]

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband Redbarn, under the circumstances you have done really well to continue with the chickens.

The lack of eggs will almost undoubtedly be down to the day without food, to preserve themselves the birds stop laying but it shouldn't last for too long if it was only a day. I have lost a couple of days of laying when I came away in the morning having put food and water out but forgot to open the pophole so the poor things were been locked up all day. It didn't result in anything more serious though like a partial moult, I think you would need to withdraw food for a couple of days for that to happen. A lack of interest in food is a bit more worrisome but provided they aren't hunched and fluffed up then it is a case of wait and see.

 

[RedBarnHens]

Thanks Donosaw. The chickens seem fine in themselves and they are eating their pellets fine. They do eat the greens I bring in late afternoon, but not with quite the enthusiasm I've seen previously. It's almost as if they are giving me the cold shoulder...lol. With the nights drawing in as well I presume I should expect less eggs throughout the winter anyway, but one or two would be nice

 

[dinosaw]

Well I'm getting 1 egg a day from 19 girls 06 so it could be worse, that's the downside of not having hybrids though. Depending on what hybrids you have you could see production drop by up to 50% or not at all in the case of some of the brown layers. You may be finding if you are going up quite late that they have filled their crops with pellets just prior to bedtime and so just aren't as hungry.

 

[Marigold]

I'm very sorry to hear your sad news too, Redbarn. Your world has been turned upside down, so recently, and it's good to have you back on here again.
I think Dinosaw is right, about the need to check and feed earlier in the afternoon as the days get shorter, especially now the clocks have gone back as well. At the moment they'll be roosting by 5.00 GMT I expect, and it'll get even earlier by Christmas. When it gets cold as well as dark, I shall begin giving mine a warm mash mid-afternoon, made from pellets with enough hot water to make them crumbly, plus a little corn and maybe a few sunflower seeds. They always bolt this down, and then go to bed with full crops ready for the long night ahead. When their water freezes, a damp mash also helps to keep them better hydrated than when just eating dry
pellets.

 

[valeriebutterley]

So sorry Redbarn, to see about your sad loss. Please accept my condolences.

I am getting only one or two eggs a day now, it has never happened before, even my two newish little Blacktails are on strike. My four lovely Croads, this year's pullets, have stopped after a brilliant and surprising start in early Autumn.

The run is like a burst eiderdown, everybody seems to be moulting at the same time, my Legbars, and Leghorns also on strike!

 

[ColinB]

I, too, must add my condolences.

I got my four hybrids in mid-August and I'm still getting 3 or 4 eggs a day from them. It must be this invigorating Welsh air.

 

[rick]

Sad to here your news Redbarn.
My flock sometimes seem to be in an odd mood - usually unexplained and transient. My young blacktail and Teabag the wonderhen are still laying most days but my CLB (after laying one a day for a week!) has now stopped and is scattering feathers everywhere.
After laying a rouge 2 eggs last month Blaze (who has an implant to stop her laying so is no surprise) has stopped again.

 

[RedBarnHens]

Thank you everyone for your condolences. Sadly I have discovered that grief is not something you really ever get over, but adjust to over time. I'm trying to remain positive and my dogs and chickens help me .... looking after them all really helps me to focus.

My six chickens are still not laying and now seem to be moulting as well. I am on day 6 of their worming and a bit sad that I picked this particular time to worm them as it's turned so cold. But I would welcome any advice on what to feed them at this time. I've bought some sunflower seeds and will try the warmed mash. Is this a daily thing or just a few times a week? Also I thought that chickens didn't moult until they were at least 18 months old!! Mine are only about half that age so is that normal? Oh dear lots of questions again!

 

[dinosaw]

Given what you said in the original post it is probably a stress moult Redbarn. It needs to be forecast well below freezing for me to supplement the chickens feed with anything and when I do I choose to give them oats prior to bedtime as they are warming. You could go for corn instead which also heats them up as it is hard to digest. Feed according to the temperature.