My previous post about our chickens contained more info than you may have wanted to know, but I was thinking about them because they have puzzled me during the month of September. The last eggs we have seen were on September 4th! Not one of the hens have laid an egg now for over 3 weeks and I am starting to get concerned. Since we are still fairly new to chicken raising we have never experienced a dry spell like this.
I have read about molting and figured that was what was going on at first. But should it be lasting this long? I am also puzzled that it has affected the flock as a whole. We have 9 good layers, but would they all molt and stop laying at the same exact time? Surely it shouldn't last this long, should it? Could there be another problem?
We have kept them in the lot for several days just to make sure they hadn't decided to start laying somewhere in the woods, and still no eggs. I have let them out for several consecutive days earlier than normal in case they needed some more bugs or something, and still no eggs. I have even switched their food from corn to Purina laying pellets and they have eaten about 40 pounds of it now, but still no eggs.
They seem to be healthy and content and not any different then when they were giving us 7 or 8 eggs a day. Introducing the 11 pullets was a little stressful but that was back in the summer and they all seem to be accepted now.
If anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate hearing them. I miss my eggs and the children miss collecting them! That was one of the chores that my 6 year old (Simon) and 8 year old (Christina) could handle pretty well and had fun doing.
Thanks.
4 comments
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BuzyMumof3sons on September 26, 2006 at 3:07 pm
I just wanted to welcome your familly to homestead blogger! I'm looking forward to getting to know your family better.
I have heard that chickens can stop laying for awhile but hope that someone else is of more help as where we live in the city we are not allowed to have any outside animals! So I'm not really sure!
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mc2rwe on September 28, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Chickens can be a fickle bunch. Have you changed up their routine in any way? Have you started feeding them different food? They are like many humans (me included) that thrive with a set schedule. I have had my chickens (all of them) not lay for up to a month. In fact, they are in such a state right now. I also know that certain breeds will not lay in the winter months when it gets colder.
Hope this helps..
Kathy
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Purewater on September 28, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Thank you for that thought. When I looked back at the calendar I noticed that we tore out their old roosts and put new ones in on Aug. 26 and also cleaned the coop out real good. They stopped laying 9 days later. Maybe that contributed to it? I was happy but suprised to get 1 egg today! Perhaps they will be OK. Thanks again.
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Marcella on September 30, 2006 at 8:28 pm
Eric,
Yes, they'll all stop laying around the same time. Molt and the shortening daylight hours usually lead to the end of the laying season. None of our hens are laying (that I know of).
Hope this helps
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