The Poultry Keeper

sasha.p · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 500 Location: gwent

i am fairly new to keeping chickens and when i first had them two were laying well but now I'm only getting one egg a day if I'm lucky ,just wondered could you lot advise me as to what parasites and stuff they get so i can ensure the lack of eggs is not due to these and also where to look and what to look for.otherwise my chickens seem really happy running around my garden eating my plants and chasing wild birds out of the garden i never knew chickens were territorial lol. Very Happy

NannyP · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:12 pm Post subject:

As winter approaches and the days get shorter, hens stop laying. Traditionally this is between 5th Novemebr to 14th February. I think these dates are used as it is easy to remember. So, that is probably why your egg production is beginning to end. Another cause may be that the hens are moulting, another thing they do at this time of year, and all their energy is being used to porduce new feathers.
If they are moulting, it's a good idea to provide them wiht good nutrition and add some ACV to their water, or other Poultry Drink supplements, or Poultry Spice to their food. All of these will help them through the stress of moulting.
HTH

sasha.p · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 500 Location: gwent

OK will have to get some stuff for them they have not started to moult yet but they probably will soon,what a strange time of year to moult when it gets cold?but i guess they will be warm enough all snuggled up like they do.thanks for the advice Very Happy

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

If I remember right, you have young hens. But, this is not to say it wouldn't happen either....just before some of my girls go into moult, they go broody! Maybe she is escaping and laying somewhere in hiding to prepare to sit? Just another thought.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

You know Deb, that's exactly what honey, my bovans nera did ~ she went broody for a couple of weeks and now she looks like all her stuffing is coming out (I hink it just might be I could almost make a pillow from the feathers in the girls' house overnight) I hadn't realised they did that ~ somethng to look out for on the other two that are 'would be broodies'