sparkysmum Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Please excuse the bizarre title but I was wondering if an experienced chicken person could tell me if hens could be enabled not to lay. We lost one ex batt recently when she became exhausted trying to expell an egg/softee and we nearly lost Boris last night. I don't need or want her to lay and I would love her just to live out her retirement pecking around the garden without all this laying business. She is 2.5 yrs old and exhausted from all her laying. Will raise with the vets but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas. Thanks as always Axxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 You could stop feeding her layers pellets/mash, and move her onto wheat, oats or corn, not too sure about what would be best. You can also get hormone implants, but they've not proved too successful I don't think. Sorry its not much help, hopefully someone else will be here soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Thanks Lewis, I'll take up the implant idea with the vets. I'm not convinced that taking her off growers/ layers will stop her laying since it's what they are bred for. But well worth a thought. Thanks Ax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 No ideas sorry but please let me know. My ex bat Cookie now lays a softie eveyday or one with a shell so thin it often breaks on the way out. I'm dreading the day one breaks inside her or she has a prolapse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Yes, I'd like one of mine to stop laying before we get to the point of having problems. She's the only one who has laid any sort of abnormal egg and goes off lay for days at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peggotty Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I rang the BHWT help line with this query, when one of my hens kept prolapsing while egglaying (RIP Duffy ) and they said that I could try ornamental poultry pellets instead of layers, as this is a complete feed but designed for show hens. It only comes in 20kg. I have not been brave enough to try it, as I too worry that they will just carry on laying regardless but without everything they need. I would love to know if anyone does try this method. Otherwise, I have mentioned spaying to my vets, but it would be a learning curve for them, so at present I am not sure I want to risk any of my girls. I am just valuing any time they do have out of the cages. It is lovely to know that lots of us want happy hens that don't have to lay eggs to be precious to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'm not sure if this will help or not. My chooks are free ranging as if they were in the wild and sleep in the trees. They eat all sorts of seeds and things that grow naturally in the orchard and garden. I have bought layers pellets and chicken feed for them but they won't eat it. So they have seeds to eat. Millet, hemp, kibbled maize and mixed corn they love ground almonds and all things natural. Dried meal worms are another favourite. We grow linseed and alfafa they eat it with gusto. When it goes to seed they eat those. I make them porridge mixed with al ittle honey and yogurt. My point is that they don't lay eggs every day and the eggs they do lay are small so not so much of a strain on them. I was reading that in the wild a hen only lays 20 eggs a year. All down to food. I am sure you will keep them alive longer if you keep their diet more natural. Hope that's of some help. It's a fascinating subject, one I would like to study in much more depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Feeding just corn instead of layers pellets or mash will certainly reduce her egg laying but it may not stop it. The thing is that she won't get the same nutrition as she would from a complete food either, so it may not be the best thing to do. Have you tried her on the Ex Bat food from Allen & Page? I think that has a higher calcium content, which may add some quality back to her shells. Cod liver oil added to their food is also supposed to help with condition Poultry Breeder pellets have higher nutrition levels than ordinary layers pellets. I feed them to my bantams whenever I can get them, and to my big girls in preparation for hatching from their eggs. Again Allen & Page do them, but you may need to order them. I feel for you as I've had a similar experience with one particular strain of my Marans bantams. They just keep on laying regardless, until exhaustion gets the better of them, then they fade away. It isn't nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 the 6 million dollar question for which many of us would pay for the solution. I was told to feed mixed corn omly, this did NOT stop them laying. Infact one ex bat rehomer tells her new owners to feed only mixed corn & I recently met someone who new nothing else I did, a whole year of eggs & no problems. So how does that work. I had jheard a vet for BHWT had a lot of success with spaying but maybe that was incorrect! Also the imp;lants unfortunately are very iffy. Before they kick in they actually make the hen lay MORE, which can mean her demise simply by doing more of what you are tryiny to stop. I did post abput this some time back across 3 forums and only heard one positive result. Something I CAN add from experience with my overlayer. More protein + more eggs! for her LOTS more!!!! NOT GOOD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Thanks for all your replies folks . I'm off to see the vets this afternoon, but not hopeful for a solution. I would like to take her off layers/growers but this isn't really practical as she lives with others for whom a balanced feed is a must. It's really doin' my head in A&H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CluckyBucks Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Hello My Rogina is 3 years old and hasnt layed an egg in about 6 months, she hasnt had a softie since her last proper egg and i think shes had the hennopause. i mix corn and layers pellets together, and she eats just the corn i think and shes fine. My other two lay but are about 9 months old. Good luck at the vets xx xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 eager to hear vets thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Sandy has just reminded me, I saw a programme and they spayed a hen on there that was having problems and it seemed to fix it, they did say the anaesthetic was a bit risky though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 My chicken vet said you can take a hen's ovaries out if they have laying problems, but they are at high risk of not surviving the anaesthetic and will probably be bullied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 there are a fair few had ops for breaks.... so I suppose you have to weigh up the aneshetic risk, also, depends on if you are doing it cos they are poorly, which would increase the risk. i would imagine it is a better option than hormone implant(thinking about that???, would that not be done under anesthetic anyway?) Also would depend on any one vets experience with birds and level of expertise I would imagine? Would the bully not be occuring cos they stop laying naturaly. is this what he thought. this is notmy experience ny oldie not laid except the many many lashes, is in fact head chook,(absoloutly no doubt) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I really don't know and thought the same but I hope I won't be going back for a long time so can't ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
