[Pomona]

Two of my Black Rocks are in moult just now but all three of them have stopped laying completely, which is  what I expected in the autumn/winter.

However, they’re all a bit off their food and have been for a few days.  We usually put out some veg in the morning for them to occupy themselves pecking at, but they’ve been leaving it all.  They’re not making much of a dent in their layers' pellets, and I’ve been putting out the occasional tin of sardines or little tub or porridge, but they’ve only been half-heartedly eating that.

Otherwise they seem fine, combs a little bit smaller but still red and healthy looking, no diarrhoea, and they’re happy to scratch around to eat some scattered corn or sultanas.

Is this normal, this not eating so much, because they’re not laying?   I’ve been putting some poultry tonic in their water, and mixing a little bit of poultry spice in with their pellets, as a kind of pick-me-up, but I don’t want to leave it any longer if it’s something that should be looked upon as a problem.

[carl]

seems like pretty normal behaviour for this time of year. Have you checked for worms and mite infestations, which may also affect run down poultry. best to cover all bases. hopefully you should see a bit of improved productivity and appetite once the days start lengthening and the moult is over.