Help me! I breed mottled cochins, and my special breeding hen is deciding not to lay. She is about 2 1/2 years old [very sweet] and she lays every year, but she hasn't started this year. Alot of my other hens have not started to lay yet either. Is anyone else haveing this problem? Does anyone know what I can do to help her lay? She is with a male, in an about 10ft by 10ft run, with plenty of nests in isolated areas. Is she just getting old? I am currently feeding my flock crumbles. Any suggestions????
Sometimes hens go a long time before some ova mature, But it isn't just age. I have 5 and 4 year old Dutch Bantam hens that are turning out dozens of eggs and one 4 year old hen that suffered such trauma when a dog killed her sister and another pullet with her that she did not lay for a year. She is "back" again, not only layed a cluch of about 15 eggs--good large eggs, but set and hatched the 6 I gave her. She is now laying again, a very gentle, friendly hen that I couldn't give up, even while she was "barren". Her plumage is smooth, soft and shiny. During the winter months I feed the bantams codliveroil sandwiches to boost their VitD and give them unsalted sunflower seed, by hand, about a T a day, per bird. This, I hoped would keep them laying and build strong hatching eggs. Other than that, they have free choice Purina Lay crumbles and about 1T of scratch per bird dailiy. Now that spring is showing--a little grazing on green grass may be a tonic for them, nice clean nest linings, and fresh bedding in their coop. They should lay again--maybe soon==good luck. CJR
Jean, I was very interested to read your comment on cod liver oil sandwiches! My gran always swore by these as a cure of all for us kiddies and I keep a bottle in the cupboard - don't know why, can't stand the stuff - just an ingrained family tradition loyalty I suppose. Anyway, I thought I would ask you, do you mean run of the mill cod liver oil or is there a special poultry variety? It won't be long until the cold weather is with us in Southern England and wonder if it is worth me trying the sandwich trick on my hens to maintain their good condition? Do you just spread some on sliced loaf? How often? How much? I also read in a veterinary reference book of the value of Marmite (I think its similar to Vegemite some of you might know) as a yeast supplement. I suppose you just spread that on the loaf as well. My gran would have been proud to know I was doing some real good with her recommended store cupboard standbys! My hens all get good quality layers pellets, so I would appreciate your comments before I give them any sort of supplements, as I believe too much of certain vitamins can do more harm than good.
Tania, CodLiverOil sandwiches are a short- dark-days-winter-time suppliment. I lay 2 slices of 12 Grain bread out to very lightly dry. Place on plastic wrap. Then pour the codliveroil (no peppermint) in a tablespoon over the bread and kind of "pour-slide" the oil over one piece of bread and place the other bread slice on top. Let set a while to soak into the bread a bit. Wrap in the plastic. It is then hand fed to each bird in their pens, about 1/4 of the sandwich to 4 birds. They see me unwrapping the bread and get very excited until I hold it down for them to pull off their share, holding the bread close, so they don't get more than a snip at a time. The adjoining pens can hardly wait for theirs!! I feed it about 2-3x a week. I start my chicks with smaller portions at 5-6 weeks. I kind of "crumb" it for the little chicks and they become very tame and come to see me at the pen doors, climb on my hand to get their share. Don't ask me where I learned this, just know that VitD is lacking in winter in the North, and we simply do not know how much is in our Start & Grow by the time we feed it! Nice plumage and eggs with good hatchability in winter (and few or NO splaylegs or crooked feet at hatch may be result of enough VitD. Marmite spread on bread should also be very good. (Available in N.Z. and Britain, but have not seen it here in U.S.). Good luck, CJR
help my b.b. red old english game arnt sitting on the eggs?????????
Ty, They may not be through laying their current clutch. Sometimes they lay as many as 30 eggs before setting! Sometimes, just 10-15. Each hen may be different in this pattern. Patience is the word. CJR
By Cjeanr on Monday, April 26, 1999 - 01:18 am:
By Tania on Monday, August 9, 1999 - 02:26 pm:
By Cjeanr on Tuesday, August 10, 1999 - 01:27 am:
By Ty Parmer (Goldenducw) on Tuesday, March 7, 2000 - 06:46 pm:
By Cjeanr on Tuesday, March 7, 2000 - 10:03 pm: