Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[brambles]

Hi there,

Show of hands please for laying 'duration' of the omlet girls. It's still early in the season, but my two - pepperpot and gingernut - are not yet in lay. I've wormed them and checked for lice. They've had the usual boosters in their food. They laid a little over the winter, but the pepperpot hasn't laid since Nov and the gingernut ranger is off after having had a long moult rest, laid a bit, now off for a month.

Is this it? They're two years old, but I hadn't expected the henopause yet. Whatever happens, they'll have a long retirement with us.

[Egluntyne]

I have 2 Omlet hens who are still laying at four years of age.

 

What did you worm them with and do layers pellets form the main part of their diet?

[Snowy]

They probably willcome into lay again, they are not 'past it' yet. In general the gingernuts seem to have 2 - 3 years of laying while the pepperpots seem to go a bit longer - 4 - 5 years.

 

Try restricting treats (if you haven't already done so), confine them to their run for a couple of days so they only have pellets to eat, that may be enough to kick start them again. As Egluntine suggested, make sure your worming is up to date. Are they crouching and are their combs nice and red? If so,and still no sign of eggs, could they be laying elsewhere, or could you have a sneaky egg eater? Just a few thoughts for you.

[The Dogmother]

Egluntyne and Snowy are right, check out their diet and worming status first.

 

Hens are like women; some reach the henopause sooner than others. Some stop laying abruptly and others gradually peter out. It's unlikely that yours will have stopped laying all together at that age.

[brambles]

Thanks. They've been wormed with flubenvet in food recently. They're not usually let out until afternoon and a couple of days a week are in the run until late afternoon. I'll give the treat restriction a go though as they do have kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s and corn later in the day. Edna was not amused today when I examined her vent to see if anything was amiss.

[Chucky Mama]

My hybrids layed all over the winter but talking to others and reading forum posts it would appear that I was lucky. Many are now reporting that the winter lull is now over for them and that their chickens are laying again. Hopefully yours will grace you with eggs again soon

[jlo]

Before the winter, my Gingernut was laying really odd eggs;- huge, misshapen things with thin shells and watery whites. She then went into moult and looked very oven ready and stopped laying. She is now looking beautiful again and is laying nice eggs.

 

My Pepperpot stopped lyaing over winter; started to moult; never really came out of it and sadly died a little while ago. I got them in May 2008 so they would be coming up to 2 1/2.

 

Everyone else's advice is pretty sound but I thought I would share as my two (now one )sound similar to yours.

[brambles]

Sorry to hear that jlo.

 

Mine are under house arrest for a few days on single rations! I have put lifeguard in their water. They are staring at the wernlas two, who are free ranging.

 

Fingers crossed. it's a beautiful day to be a hen - sun and dustbathing!

[The Dogmother]

The new season, after a rest over the winter always brings a better quality and colour of eggs.

 

Birds hatched from may onwards probably won't moult that first winter (there's always one exception ) but earlier hatches will usually moult and use the tiem to recoup their reserves.

 

I am told that there might be some sort of 'moulting rescue product' coming out in time for this year's moult... I don't know any more details though. I for one will be getting some if it appears because some of my more elderly ladies need all the help they can get with the stress that moulting puts on their system.

[brambles]

Hurrah Obi Hen's laid - a 5 egg day today for us. Just Edna to get sorted, but she's a stubborn lady. Day 3 of imprisonment, I'm dying to let them out for a little furtle and will do later.

[Snowy]

Great news!

[dolly_mixtures]

I have and are having a similar problem. My gingernut only laid soft shelled eggs last autumn and has not laid a single egg for months. My pepperpot has laid consistently over the winter but has now stopped laying for the last 2 weeks.

 

They have been wormed with flubenvet, eat good quality layers and have minimal treats. My bantams, on the other hand are laying well. I am actually getting a bit depressed about it all. I hate having to buy eggs.

 

[The Dogmother]

You make a good point abotu your hybrids nto laying or laying softies while the banties are still laying.

 

One thing worth bearing in mind is that while hybrids are bred to lay good quality eggs day after day, this does sometimes mean that eventually their egg tackle gets knackered, and they tail off the laying, or may lay 'odd eggs'. Pure breeds though will lay less eggs, and stop laying through the winter, so they rest their girlie parts and return to the new season with renewed vigour.

 

I have two pure breed girls, who are both about 5 years old and still lay the odd egg every now and then. Personally, I prefer my chooks to have the more natural style of laying, and rest through the winter.

[dolly_mixtures]

I agree with you - I would prefer my hens to be more natural. I will certainly think carefully when getting any new hens in the future. The only problem with my bantams is that they become broody more often but I suppose it is a more natural way for them to behave.

[The Dogmother]

Not necessarily, some of my bantams are broody monsters - one regularly broods all summer - but others have never been broody.