The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: 7 acres on September 27, 2010, 11:45:41 am
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Good morning to all,
Looking for a little advise we have about 75 hens and this year they started off well laying but have not really laid anything for about 12 weeks we live in Spain and i understand its been a very hot summer for them but they just don't want to lay they are split into areas of 25 and have a great housing unit feed on morning with layers meal and on eve with dry meal Ive had chicken in the UK for a few years but never had this problem i now thinking they may be short on grit.
Any advise would be good
many thanks
7 acres, Alan
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I have 10 hens, at present I am getting 6 - 8 eggs per day. I give them layers mash and a wee bit of oyster shell grit and mix it with water. They get this in the morning then again about 3 pm. I have 2 troughs filled with wheat and some mixed grain outside, and all the birds help themselves to this. I also have a bowl of drinking water in the henhouse and 2 pails outside. My geese have not been laying for a couple of months but we are getting plenty eggs from the hens.
Cheers Helen
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Wow, bummer. Do they have plenty water? Odd that none are laying. Without grit, I would have expected soft eggs not none at all and hens that are truly freerange pick up grit from the soil. No-one's nicking them are they?
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9 hens and a duck and I am lucky to get two eggs a day. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong. all are eating and drinking ok. sometimes one will sit on the nest for ages but doesn't lay anything!
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Funny you should mention this.....
My lot have given me 1 eggs per day for the last 3 days :o
I've just put it down to the moult & worming week as they are all eating & drinking fine.
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Yeah i'm down to one egg a day from my six girls, putting it down to getting cold and a bit of moulting at the moment. Just picked up another six girls today they are to young to lay for a while but the seller had a big plot and his eggs have reduced a lot since it got colder.
Rob. ;D
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I had 7 today from my 11 girlies. are they all wormed etc?
mine have free access to layers pellets plus they get 'treats' and veggies
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Mine have went into moult so not many eggs at the moment I use poultry spice when they go off lay to help build them up again for when they start again
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Check for mites and lice. You will see a drop in egg numbers much before you notice mites. Go in at night, look on the perches and lift the birds and check around their vents
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what method do you all use for worming? and what product? how often shoud it be carried out? thanks
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I use Flubenvent twice a year Craig, spring & autumn
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I have heard that excess heat can put them off lay - Try posting on one of the Australian or American forums where they will have had more experience of hot conditions.
I think if you can keep the water at around 55farenheit that is supposed to help with egg shell quality and other things, I only keep Marans, and I heard that one of the best breeders always insists the birds have cool water to drink to help with colour and shell quality.
All the best
Sue
Dark Brown Eggs
PS if you can't find anywhere to post PM me and I will send you some links
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we're getting 3-5 eggs a day from our 8 hens.
we put it down to a combination of adding 4 hens to our existing 4 upsetting them a bit, plus 2 are definitely in moult.
i have another group of 8 (unsure yet to hen/cock ratio) to add once they are old enough, and am expecting the whole settling in process to start again!