Unsecure chicken perches

[millymollymandy]

Hi I have had my six chickens since the beginning of september and got them at POL but they won't lay .

 

I have had problems with them sneezing and after trying everything I am pretty sure they have stopped after a trip to the vets who gave me tyral (or somthing like that can't remember the name!).

 

The vet also told me my chooks were underweight and considering I took the biggest that was a bit worrying.

 

Only one of the chickens is laying which is Penny who has a big red comb, the others have small combs which aren't very red.

 

I was told to switch from layers pellets to growers and to give them lots of treats to fatten them up.

 

What sort of treats will help them? I am giving them lots of corn and any left over pasta/rice etc but i started two weeks ago and still it is only Penny laying.

 

Any tips or have I got duff chickens

[meezers]

Maybe they are younger than you were led to believe,POL can cover anything from 16 weeks - 26 weeks . Depending on breed some may not lay until even later. If their combs are small and not red, I'd say they just aren't ready yet.

[green]

I don't think the treats help them to lay as the pellets/mash will have everything they need in it and people on here have suggested cutting out treats if the hens aren't laying. It's worrying though if they're really skinny... Have they been wormed?

 

I got mine in October, no eggs yet but I think that's because they are slightly younger than I thought.

[chicken bark]

Layers pellets will be all they need to eat. You can give them porridge (either oat or layers pellets in warm water) or mixed corn later in the day to keep them warm overnight but I wouldn't worry too much. I think they take longer this time of year to come into lay. I have some POL pure breeds that I'm not expecting to lay until next year. They will lay when they are ready.

 

It is possible to get a duff one (I have one) but that is very unlikely. I would avoid giving them treats to fatten them up it will just stop them eating the pellets.

[KateCooke]

Know how you feel, i too have no eggs yet.

I bought them beginning of Aug and was told at POL, but obviously not.

Have read all the advise and i am pleased to say that one of them is acting a bit nutty and going in and out of eglu. Another one has deep red comb and yest crouched for me. This i think is a good sign so have fingers crossed that will have at least one egg by next week. But a lot of people on here have suggested i will not get any eggs til spring.

 

I dont give my girls many treats as they spend at least 5 hours a day pottering round the garden and are really fussy. Have tried lots of stuff but they like sweet corn, rice and occassionally pasta but nothing else yet.

 

Might try the porridge that someone suggeted myself.

 

Kate

[..lay a little egg for me]

No disrespect to your vet, but laying hens are supposed to be skinny. In fact there is an old adage "fat hens don't lay". Of course I don't know how underweight your girls are but I would guess that as long as you are up to date with worming and have checked them over for creepy crawlies and the coop for red mite AND if they are eating fine, I would suspect that your vet is mistaken about them being underweight. He is probably comparing them with table birds or fancy fowl or something! Other people on here have had the same story from their vets. In fact there was a thread about it a while ago. My skinniest hen is the best layer! I expect they are just not ready yet as others have said. With winter coming on it may delay the start of their laying. Layers pellets are what they should have. Not growers and not too many treats. Just let them have an eggcupful's worth of corn in the evening before bed OR some pasta or rice.

[Chucky Mama]

I was told to switch from layers pellets to growers and to give them lots of treats to fatten them up.

 

What sort of treats will help them? I am giving them lots of corn and any left over pasta/rice etc but i started two weeks ago and still it is only Penny laying.

 

 

I would say definately cut out all treats. Just give layers pellets or mash. They can have a small handful of corn but it wont help them to lay so personally I would leave it out. It sounds like your birds are a wee bit young. Be patient, I am sure that they will start soon. I second that fact that many vets think laying hens are too thin. My best layers are like whippets despite eating like horses.

[beach chick]

I also agree that vets think chooks are too thin - and the saying that fat chickens dont lay is also true!!

[millymollymandy]

Thanks for the advice I wormed them last week so no probs there.

 

I was worried about giving them too many treats as at this time of year they are asleep when I get home so all treats have to be give in the morning and you are right they definatly eat less pellets then.

 

Think I will just have to be patient and eat more cereal for breakfast!

 

I think the vet said Penny (my biggest chook) was 1kg and they should be 1.5kg but that doesn't mean much to me never weighed any of my previous chooks!

[alet_chicken]

I agree with the others, free access to layer's pellets is all that they need. They will start laying in their own good time, and each girl matures differently. The cold weather may also delay the start of laying. I got two girls at POL in September last year but they only started laying in February this year!

 

May I ask what breeds are your chickens? The difference between Penny's weight and the "ideal" weight is rather large (well, half of Penny ), but you say that Penny is laying (which to me is a sign of good health). I'm thinking the vet may be overestimating the ideal weight for her breed.

[beach chick]

the other thing that affects laying is the amount of daylight - and with the nights really drawing in now, they are getting so much less! I just read someone on another thread saying that they had an egg drought, and then a week to the day after the shortest day they all started up again! so you might have to be patient, but probably not as long as until spring...

[millymollymandy]

I have had some progress I am now getting two eggs most days from my six chickens so things are improving.

 

Penny is a white star i think and I think the other one who is laying is the other white star. the others are two marans and two sussex.

 

They are definately getting fatter so hopefully things are looking up fingers crossed

[sari]

As my siggy says, I have a Leghorn, a Legbar, and a light Sussex/Rhodie hybrid...alll since September, just at POL or a little younger, and no eggs. I pretty sure its the lack of daylight, and the fact that in the Midlands-well my bit anyway!- , we have had very few bright Autumn days, all very cloudy and dim, so figure they've had less daylight hours......I'll take my eggs when I get them.....

[green]

I have had some progress I am now getting two eggs most days from my six chickens so things are improving.

 

That's a good start and at least you're getting some eggs while waiting for the rest of the chooks to start laying.