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geb0205

Egg laying - and fussy eating!

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Is it usual for them to go on strike at this time of year? I have 2 bantams (one has not started yet... silver spangled hamburg... i presume she was a late maturer and now is too cold/dark to lay) and the light sussex that was laying hasnt layed for about 2 months. Is this normal? Will she ever lay again!?

 

Her comb and wattles have shrunk and got darker which I did post about a while ago and presume normal.

 

Another thing: They are SO SO fussy!! they wont eat pellets (i make sure they are suitable for bantams) and will only very occasionally eat mash. They LIVE for cut maize, and will eat as much as they can (i limit it, I dont want them too fat!) and are extremely fussy about greens.

 

any suggestions?

 

GEB and her very very cross chooks (next door's fence has blown down and they cannot free-range until it is fixed!)

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Sorry to hear about your fence Geb - some of mine has come down and is temporarily patched with plastic mesh fencing :roll:

 

Chooks will eat less when they are off lay - they don't need the same nutrients as when they are producing eggs. Pure breeds like yours and mine will generally not lay in the winter, and will start again when the days lengthen and get warmer.

 

Try giving them only pellets in the morning and then just a little corn in the evening, that way they will have the optimum nutrition for producing eggs when they do come back into lay. Min elove corn too, but only get a handful at the end of the day. I mix it with indigo wheat (from Wiggly Wigglers) which is higher in protein and has less fat.

 

I hope that mine start laying again soon too.

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We got Trinny and Susannah at 18 weeks old at the beginning of December last year and they didn't produce a single egg until February, so the bad weather might be discouraging them.

 

They do need the layers mash/pellets to produce eggs. If they fill up on other things they may not produce (as many) eggs.

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