Hens aint a laying

[glow777]

They do this to me every year at molt time.

But this year it seems like someome has flicked a switch and theyve all (8 of 'em) stopped laying at one

Does this happen to everyone else and how long do you usually find it takes them to recharge!

[Lady Cosmos]

Strange, I think, All 8 stopped at once? You can see that happening when they have had a shock or something. F.i.a dog running after them or so. But I never had had that all the chickens stop laying at the same time

[slyfox-mal]

most of my hens have stopped laying and so have all my friends at the moment they are just conserving there energy whilst molting give them a few weeks to recharge them selves and they should come back on to lay OK .
i don't know how old Ur's are  but i always breed my  new hens to come on to lay about this time so i don't dry up all together all my new birds about 30 of them are showing good signs of becoming ready to come into lay
 i always make then  warm food when they are going into  molt  and give them poultry spice in there food a few times per week if they are off lay its a good time to think about worming them  also  but thats just my opinion thanks Mal

[slyfox-mal]

ps i hope you got my poultry basic e book in you email ok and i hope it helps you thanks mal

[glow777]

Ta all

Sly Fox - I had it sent to my work email address so I can read it at work on Monday, let you know what I think then.

Thanks

Ian

[OliveOil]

I would expect pure breeds to stop laying now but hybrids to have dropped off!

My hybrids (3) are giving me 1 egg a day if im lucky, the silkies stopped over a week ago now... but my mums pure breeds moulted a few weeks ago now and are still not laying since then.  Would expect them to start laying in spring now... also as they get older the less they will lay - esp through winter.

[Marymary]

Mine have all virtually stopped laying - they do every year at this time though 2 little bantams are still managing to lay every other day.  I'm hoping my hybrids will start again soon but the rest I know I will have to wait for the new year. 

[Rosyred]

Was interested by this post as we brought two hens from a farm about 4-6 weeks ago now and one has never layed. She is a Maran about 2 weeks after getting her she started moulting and now reading this i'll have to wait till Spring maybe to get eggs from her. Bit of a bummer really as only got her for eggs. I don't know her age.

[Paulines7]

I have 12 hens and only get the occasional egg.  The Welsummers and some mixed breeds have stopped laying completely.  The only eggs I get are from a bird which two years ago escaped from a lorry taking it from a local chicken farm to the slaughterhouse.  I nick-named her Houdini because she also gets out of the run and over fences quite regularly.   

Birds do need a rest from laying and will start again when they are ready, usually early spring.  Sometimes a china egg can start them off again. 

[Marymary]

I agree Pauline, they do need a rest to build up their reserves for more laying - I find mine often start again on New Year's Day - obviously how they clelebrate - & my peak month is usually February.   It seems a shame to buy eggs though so we just don't eat them at this time of year & look forward to lots of eggy things in the spring.

[Merlins Mum]

This thread has sort of put my mind at rest as I have 3 ex battery hens and I am only getting the occasional soft shelled egg from my original ex bat girl.  The two new recruits who joined us 2 weeks ago haven't laid an egg except for one which was laid the day after arrival.  I was beginning to think I had got 2 non layers   which can happen with ex battery hens.
I do worry though about my girl who is laying only soft shelled eggs and which invariably get broken.  The shells were fine when we first had her but for the past 4 weeks or so she has only managed one normal shell.
Should I worry about this?

MM

[glow777]

MM
do they get enough grit?

[slyfox-mal]

if the hens are getting  the proper rations then they should be getting all the calcium need for the eggs grit is mainly to aid digestion in the crop  soft shells could be  simply a symptom of old age and she may be almost layed out  regards mal

[Marymary]

You can try upping her calcium intake by feeding her some cheese or bread soaked in milk.  Also make sure she has access to enough grit.  I buy mixed corn with added grit which seems to work well.

[Merlins Mum]

Thanks Marymary, I will try some cheese and/or bread in milk.  
They have access to oyster grit and the ordinary poultry grit and I checked to make sure the pellets I give them contain calcium. 
She is only 18 months mal, but of course the farmer got rid of her because she has already given her  best.  Still I have a soft spot for her (sorry but they are pets too) and I honestly don't care if this particular hen lays any eggs or not, I just wish when she did they could have a shell.  It seems such a terrible waste.

Anyway thanks guys

MM

[slyfox-mal]

i understand about being a pet and no problem there, even though i have loads they are still pets also i have a couple of ex battery hens who will live out there lives in the comfort of my hen houses eggs or not
 kindest regards mal

[Merlins Mum]

"ex battery hens who will live out there lives in the comfort"  my sentiments exactly mal and thanks

MM

[teresa]

I have a hen who I hatched and had to help out of the shell, she lays a thin shell, I am hoping that when she moults and has a rest she will sort out the shell laying machine inside. Mine are mixed ages so still getting eggs some are in moult others starting some inbetween.
All eating for england and being wormed.
But love them all and yes started off for eggs then became pets and a hobby hatching. Love them to bits and so do members of the family, children adore them. They give so much fun and laughter dont know what I would do without them.

[Merlins Mum]

I keep hoping that after Henrietta has got through her moult she will get the shells sorted, don't even mind waiting till the new year.  This may sound odd but I would rather she wasn't laying at all than laying me soft shelled eggs as more often than not they are broken and therefore wasted. 
And yes teresa, aren't they characters and I too love 'em to bits, gardening wouldn't be the same if they weren't around.

MM

[johnjp]

A smallholder recently told me that the birds need about 14 hours of daylight to be laying well. He has a couple of bright lights rigged up to fool them! My ten rescue hens stopped about 3 weeks ago but I now get two a day. Past experience is that they do seem to lay again about January to February.