3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[clucky chicken]

Hello again lovely people, haven't been on for a while - but have a question for you....

 

Over winter my 4 lovely hybrids laid their socks off as usual - 2nd winter and still going strong! Just recently since the onslaught of spring however, 2 of them appear to have stopped laying. I thought that maybe they were just a bit sluggish after winter so I wormed them with Flubenvet, and given them poultry spice, and tonic, they eat plenty of layers pellets and grit - but to no avail. Do you think they are just getting on a bit now, or am I doing something wrong?

 

We did have an episode of softies not so long ago, and also some rather wrinkly eggs - could this have been the start of something not right? Have checked their vents and all looks fine, they are all eating and drinking well, and trot around happily in the garden, so I'm not sure what I should do next?

 

They have moulted a bit over winter, and are looking a bit rough round the edges, however the feathers do appear to be returning. I have given them the once over, and they look perfectly fine, ... they all crouch when I stand over them, so I thought this was a good sign that they should all be laying, so why have 2 of them not laid for a few weeks?

 

Thanks for reading this - Sorry about the lengthy explanation, but am not sure if I should be worried or not...

[Egluntyne]

Typical of hybrids I'm afraid. They lay like the clappers for their first year or so, and then tail off noticeably. The fact that they are crouching means that their hormones are on the up again after their moult, and hopefully they should start laying again soon.

[cheekymonkey200]

I'm new to this chicken lark, but I have read that egg production can slow down when the hens are moulting. If, as you say, they're coming out of that stage now they might pick up the pace. Hope you work it out!

[Luvachicken]

Same here, I have 2 gingernut rangers and they haven't laid at all since Christmas. I have had them just over 2 years from POL.

One moulted really badly over the winter and then had antibiotics for a chest infection - so we couldn't eat any eggs for 3 weeks anyway, but that date was 7th April and no eggs from either of them.

I was hoping the better weather would bring some eggs but who knows.

It gets quite exciting when you see them rush off to the egg hole as if to lay something, but there is never anything there. Although 2 weeks ago one of them must have laid something as there was egg yolk over the partition. But nothing since.

Hubby says they are useless

[clucky chicken]

I must admit I didn't think my chicks would run out of eggs this soon - I figured they would still lay this summer, and tail off but it appears not Oh well - they will just have to be pets from now on - shame though - I used to enjoy going down to the house in the morning and finding 4 lovely eggs - maybe I didn't thank them enough!!!!