hens not laying...?
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Any advice in this section should not be taken to overrule advice by a certified licensed veterinarian. You should always consult a veterinarian for treatment or diagnoses of animal disease or injury. The information in this thread is simply the experience of board members and is not to be taken as a substitution for veterinary advice or treatment.
- Giffen Farms
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hens not laying...?
I have a breeder flock of 12 standard heritage silver laced wyandottes +1 americauna, 9 of them are first year layers, 2 are second year layers and 1 is on her third year, plus 1 first year rooster, the 9 are currently 7 months old and have yet to produce a single egg, the 3 older birds - well 2 of them stopped laying in early February and the americauna is now an egg every 2-3 days instead of everyday, have/are about to molting - they've done their time and deserve a break.
Any idea's :question: :question:
All are fed a textured Purina laying crumble, at first I thought it was a crowding issue so I moved them to a bigger pen with access to outside, I'm stumped, if I can't get any eggs soon I might cull the works and start from scratch.
Any idea's :question: :question:
All are fed a textured Purina laying crumble, at first I thought it was a crowding issue so I moved them to a bigger pen with access to outside, I'm stumped, if I can't get any eggs soon I might cull the works and start from scratch.
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What day is it, Christopher Robin? Its today Pooh, my favorite day!
- Home Grown Poultry
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hens not laying...?
I think you just need to threaten them really good. LOL. But it just could that they have been moved to a new coop. threaten them and give them some time. the weather has been crazy up n down so thats not helping things either...
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Al
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hens not laying...?
Don't give up yet, I have learned to live with the fact the dual purpose Heritage breeds will take a brake when they need it.
On a plus side they never look as horribly bedraggled as the layer breeds on a minus side, you will never get the number of eggs you would get from the breeds that are specifically bred for laying.
Both Wyandotte and Ameraucanas are average layers (200+ eggs per year) Ameraucanas a bit better then Wyandottes in my experience.
I have put a Wyandotte breeding pen of 5 hens and a 10 month old cockerel together and they promptly stopped laying, 2 weeks later I am getting 3 eggs every other day, which is pretty infuriating when you are trying to collect eggs for hatching, but petty much par for the course.
On a plus side they never look as horribly bedraggled as the layer breeds on a minus side, you will never get the number of eggs you would get from the breeds that are specifically bred for laying.
Both Wyandotte and Ameraucanas are average layers (200+ eggs per year) Ameraucanas a bit better then Wyandottes in my experience.
I have put a Wyandotte breeding pen of 5 hens and a 10 month old cockerel together and they promptly stopped laying, 2 weeks later I am getting 3 eggs every other day, which is pretty infuriating when you are trying to collect eggs for hatching, but petty much par for the course.
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- Giffen Farms
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hens not laying...?
Oh I know, these are the offspring from the original pair from about 4 years ago, keeping breeders for about 5+ years now, and is very frustrating when I had to unplugged the incubator and the phone constantly ringing with people wanting silver laced chicksOntario Chick wrote:QR_BBPOST Don't give up yet, I have learned to live with the fact the dual purpose Heritage breeds will take a brake when they need it.
On a plus side they never look as horribly bedraggled as the layer breeds on a minus side, you will never get the number of eggs you would get from the breeds that are specifically bred for laying.
Both Wyandotte and Ameraucanas are average layers (200+ eggs per year) Ameraucanas a bit better then Wyandottes in my experience.
I have put a Wyandotte breeding pen of 5 hens and a 10 month old cockerel together and they promptly stopped laying, 2 weeks later I am getting 3 eggs every other day, which is pretty infuriating when you are trying to collect eggs for hatching, but petty much par for the course.
0
What day is it, Christopher Robin? Its today Pooh, my favorite day!
- Giffen Farms
- Starting to Crow
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hens not laying...?
I really shouldn't complain, they've been non stop laying for the last 14 months straight, but my blue cochins have been non stop laying since February, I have more of those chick than I know what to do withthegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST I think you just need to threaten them really good. LOL. But it just could that they have been moved to a new coop. threaten them and give them some time. the weather has been crazy up n down so thats not helping things either...
1
What day is it, Christopher Robin? Its today Pooh, my favorite day!
- Home Grown Poultry
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hens not laying...?
ahhh haa! yup then its time for a break. sounds like you have a great flock!
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Al
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hens not laying...?
)You probably aren't missing much , Wyandottes tend to be fertile later in the spring anyway, like Kenya said wait another month....Giffen Farms wrote:QR_BBPOST
Oh I know, these are the offspring from the original pair from about 4 years ago, keeping breeders for about 5+ years now, and is very frustrating when I had to unplugged the incubator and the phone constantly ringing with people wanting silver laced chicks
I just checked the fertility, it's only 30% no point setting eggs until it shows at least 75%
So I am also impatiently waiting

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- Giffen Farms
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hens not laying...?
Yes I do, you got me thinking now, could it be a genetic issue? I started with 1 pair about 3-4 years ago getting a ratio of 60:40 pullets:cockerels, kept back a select few pullets and bred them back to the father, did that every year, my last hatch these guys gave me a 90:10 ratio pullets:cockerels, he's been retired as he's been throwing deformed chicks, I might be back at square one with this new guythegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST ahhh haa! yup then its time for a break. sounds like you have a great flock!
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What day is it, Christopher Robin? Its today Pooh, my favorite day!
- windwalkingwolf
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hens not laying...?
A new rooster, especially an inexperienced one, can really throw a wrench into the works, I find. Once he gets the hang of mating quickly and efficiently, the hens accept him more and eggs start back up. The prisses are fussy about any change i n their environment, even one for the better like a larger coop LOL . Also, Al is right about threatening them--when my girls go on strike I give them the "where's my eggs?" lecture, if that doesn't work within a week, I start threatening the axe in a menacing fashion. I swear, it works every time! LOL! Keep in mind though that it's natural for them to take a good long break after extended laying, and nothing you can do about it but wait :/
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