The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: WoodlandsDevon on December 11, 2018, 05:34:18 pm

Title: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 11, 2018, 05:34:18 pm
hello, I have 20 free range chickens, I sell their eggs at the gate, they are young and healthy looking however on Sunday i received no eggs what so ever, they have a light to make the days longer so winter can't be to blame. I usually get near 20 eggs every day. today I have received one egg and have been keeping a close eye to see that nothing is taking them. I hope it isn't a disease but i can't find much about it. last Saturday i chicken looked ill, i took in and treated it for crop bound the next day however i found it dead, it was very light so it might have died from starvation, i don't think it has any link to the eggs.
please help me
tristan
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: Womble on December 11, 2018, 07:00:26 pm
I'm pretty sure you'll just find this is seasonal. If you're going to use artificial light to extend the season, I believe it has to be quite bright. Is yours bright enough, I wonder?
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: Rupert the bear on December 11, 2018, 07:34:29 pm
300w led flood light works , but they deserve a rest . Light redeployed.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 11, 2018, 08:18:31 pm
thanks for your reply!
yes its just alien to me because i have never had them all pause for a break at the same time and for so long.
They have been laying vigorously throughout winter and do deserve a break but i wonder recently the light has been turning off whilst its still dark could this be the reason? i will have to try and change the settings.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 11, 2018, 08:22:43 pm
also forgot to mention these are lowland brown hybrids are usually lay very very well making it more unusual
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: doganjo on December 11, 2018, 10:51:21 pm
Unusual for them all to stop laying at once suddenly.  Check for rats and other vermin, and other birds
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: DavidandCollette on December 12, 2018, 07:01:59 am
Also lol for signs of disturbance. Has Mr. Fox been round having a look?
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: chrismahon on December 12, 2018, 07:19:58 am
When our chickens suddenly stopped laying we fitted padlocks to the nest box and access doors- they suddenly started again. Pretty sure I know which neighbour was responsible.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: Anke on December 12, 2018, 11:37:27 am

Is this their second winter for laying, so they are how old? If they are all the same age, they may not lay through the winter anymore, even with a light on. Light as said above also needs to be quite bright and on until at least around 10pm, we also put it on in the morning from 7am until they come outside after 8am (I am in Scotland, so dark after 4pm and not light until after 8am).
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 12, 2018, 05:02:13 pm
pretty sure that it isn't the light i have done it this way for years and my brothers and they have never had them stop for this amount of time.The chickens aren't very old i got half of them beginning of this year so they might have been through a winter but wouldn't have been laying the rest, i received back in summer so it can't be age. not sure about people taking, them can't be! the chicken shed is near the house my mum is her all day i am at school. could be rats and vermin i will set up a Go-Pro to watch tomorrow. Also there was no eggs today being the forth day.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 12, 2018, 05:37:02 pm
well it could be trauma  last weekend  there was a serious gale and this is when they stopped laying.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: abc123 on December 13, 2018, 01:56:48 pm
Hello Tristan, :wave:
There is a disease in these sorts of breeds called EDS (Egg Drop Syndrome), although I would be surprised if it affected 20 chickens all at once, even though it is viral. Do you know if they were vaccinated as chicks against this if you didn't raise them yourself or bought them at POL.
I had one of these birds who never laid a single egg about a year and a half ago. I had bought her as a chick and she had not been vaccined against this. she was constantly bullied by the others, and in the end I couldn't afford to keep her. I took her back to where I bought her from and they gave me a chick for free as a refund along with a couple of others.  ;)

Check for mite infestations as well because the stress of this can stop laying. Its definitely not the age of the birds as you said, and the breed normally continues laying through the winter. Do check for sure the eggs are not being stolen as Chris says. Its not uncommon unfortunately >:(

There is a whole host of reasons why they could have stopped laying. Bad weather, frights as you've said. I would think the most likely reason at this time of year would an infestation of worms, or some other health problem. Are you fairly strict on the biosecurity etc, especially at this time of year with extra mud and health risks. How often do you clean them out and what sort of litter system do yo use e.g. deep litter, and the bedding type.

If they are definitely completely healthy, then its probably just natural. They deserve a break and I wouldn't worry too much. If they haven't started laying again by the time it warms up again in spring I would definitely be worried though given the breed and time of year. :thumbsup:
 
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: doganjo on December 13, 2018, 04:16:43 pm
Hi ABC23, Tristan seemed to imply they all stopped at once.  This isn't likely to be seasonal, nor a disease, nor lack of vitamins - much more likely that suddenly something has found the eggs and is taking them away. 

When we removed the insulation in the loft of the garage I use for my poultry we found absolutely loads of eggshells as well as rat droppings.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: abc123 on December 13, 2018, 04:40:07 pm
Agreed, but surely if its some animal taking 20 or so eggs everyday, that's 20 times more likely that Tristan would see something taking them during the day

It would have to be something small that couldn't carry more than one at a time because otherwise if it was a large animal like a fox or badger it would most likely attack the hens as well??  :-\


Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: DavidandCollette on December 13, 2018, 05:22:14 pm
well it could be trauma  last weekend  there was a serious gale and this is when they stopped laying.
Probably a combination of the high wind and time of year
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 14, 2018, 04:17:43 pm
I don't think anything is taking them. I have been home today have seen nothing take them, also i left the 3 eggs laid yesterday and they are still there plus one more. I am pretty sure that it isn't EDS either because as mentioned before it's unlikely they would all stop at once and the eggs they have laid are in perfect condition. If it was rest how long will they not lay many eggs for?
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: abc123 on December 14, 2018, 04:42:36 pm
Ok yep
You most likely wont get full production until spring if its that. Most chickens don't lay to their full potential during winter anyway.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: Possum on December 16, 2018, 09:39:03 pm
We had something similar this year. We have had a flock of mixed-age chickens for 9 years. Although egg production always slows down a bit in the winter, this was the first year that it stopped completely for two or three days.  No idea why.


I put some red mite tonic in their drinking water and they started laying a couple of days later. Also, found an "alternative" nest at the base of a bramble. So one or two of them had been laying. They were just hiding their eggs for some reason. ::)
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 17, 2018, 07:13:00 pm
what is this red mite tonic?
i got 5 out of 19 today increasing...
hopefully they should be back in lay soon
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: WoodlandsDevon on December 17, 2018, 07:16:01 pm
And talking about mites the last time i cleared them out i had run out of spray so just went by with DE were i would normally use both, they could be upset by this..??
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: abc123 on December 17, 2018, 08:25:33 pm
And talking about mites the last time i cleared them out i had run out of spray so just went by with DE were i would normally use both, they could be upset by this..??

Doubt it very much.
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: abc123 on December 17, 2018, 08:27:37 pm
what is this red mite tonic?
i got 5 out of 19 today increasing...
hopefully they should be back in lay soon

Is it red stop solution or something??
cool
Title: Re: CHICKENS NOT LAYING??
Post by: Possum on December 19, 2018, 01:19:45 pm
It is a liquid tonic that you can get from an agricultural store. I use Mole Valley Farmers. It is meant for chickens that have been attacked by red mite and are a bit anaemic and off-colour. It contains iron and vitamins. Although there shouldn't be any red mite around at this time of year I thought I would put some in their water on the off-chance. Seems to have done the trick!