Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

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.

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...

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.

Give them another month, they'll be laying like crazy then.

Ontario 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.

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

thegawd 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...

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 with

ahhh haa! yup then its time for a break. sounds like you have a great flock!

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

)You probably aren't missing much , Wyandottes tend to be fertile later in the spring anyway, like Kenya said wait another month....
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

thegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST ahhh haa! yup then its time for a break. sounds like you have a great flock!

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 guy

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 :/