Used Omlet outdoor rabbit run Width 2.2m Height 2.05m Length 3.1m vgc.

[jomo1972]

Hi Everyone

 

I have this ongoing problem with non laying hens.

 

I was feeding them on corn but I've realised that was a mistake and swapped over to grain. They've been on that several weeks. They also get kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s that they seem to enjoy.

 

I've got 6 of them but still I am lucky if I get one egg a day.

 

They do stay in their run. I have lost too many to foxes to let them go completely free range. Also, I have a large garden pond and they will fall in and drown if I let them range. The run is about 8 ft x 10 ft or thereabouts. Is that going to be the problem?

 

Thanks

[Sam]

Firstly I'd change their feed to proper 'layers pellets' which they need or else you won't get eggs. Do they have access to grit? I would only feed s"Ooops, word censored!"s/vegetables in the evening when they have stocked up on their pellets. When they've been on layers pellets for a while and if you still haven't got many eggs, might be worth worming them with flubenvet.

[jomo1972]

Yes, sorry I feed them layer pellets.

 

They've been on it for a few weeks.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

Did you worm them with Flubenvet, as advised previously?

[jomo1972]

No, it hasn't arrived yet. I sent an email chasing it.

 

I thought they were getting better on the layer pellets but they are not. They don't seem to like the feeding devices I have for them. I have one of those massive hopper things that, if the hens ate from it, would mean you only had to feed them once a week.

 

But I'm not sure they are. I usually go down and sprinkle some on the floor every morning.

[Sam]

I don't get what you mean, but do they have access to the pellets all day? There needs to be a feeder they can feed from during the day.

[jomo1972]

Yes, but I don't think they are using it.

 

I have started leaving some out for them as well.

 

I have left them for about 3 days with just the feeder and as far as I can see its not going down much.

[Chucky Mama]

They wont eat much if they are not laying but if you don't think they like the hopper, feed them from a bowl or something different. They wont lay if they are not getting enough food and you are best to crack on and worm them as advised previously.

[jomo1972]

Do you really think they just don't like the hopper?

 

Its bizarre. I've never known hens refuse to feed from a device.

[Sam]

Ex-batts are used to mash I think, might be worth putting some in a bowl and mashing it up with some water. Takes them a while to get used to new food. I'm sure they'd devour that

[jomo1972]

You mean layer pellets mixed with water?

 

They do devour vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s. They like bread too.

[Sam]

You mean layer pellets mixed with water?

 

Yeah, get it to a porridgey consistency, I do this when we get soft eggs so put some extra grit in the porridge.

[Chucky Mama]

 

They do devour vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s. They like bread too.

Oh, thought you had followed the advise given previously by a number of us to cut out s"Ooops, word censored!"s

[jomo1972]

I didn't think that was the advice. The advice was to cut out corn which I've done and replaced it with pellets.

 

Whats wrong with vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s? They are natural and hens would normally eat them.

[Chucky Mama]

If you want them to lay eggs, worm them with Flubenvet as per the instructions that come with it, feed layers pellet or layer mash ad lib, cut out all other food which included s"Ooops, word censored!"s and corn and give free access to clean drinking water. Good luck.

[jomo1972]

OK.

 

Whats wrong with vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s? I've feed them to chickens all my life.

[squiffs]

OK.

 

Whats wrong with vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s? I've feed them to chickens all my life.

 

 

They like them but they're 'treats' the vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s don't give them any of the quantity or variety of nutrients needed to form good, healthy eggs, if they fill up on vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s or know that they don't have to eat pellets because they get tasty s"Ooops, word censored!"s anyway, they won't eat the pellets which contain vital nutrition for a laying hen.

 

 

Just like if you fill a child up with sweeties they won't eat their dinner.

[jomo1972]

oK. they do seem to enjoy the mash. I've mixed it up with water and they've been eating that fast enough.

[Christian]

OK.

 

Whats wrong with vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s? I've feed them to chickens all my life.

 

I'm confused...how long have you kept hens for?

 

There is nothing wrong with feeding hens kitchen vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s, but if you are worming, it is best to just feed the medicated pellets.

 

Exbattery hens are used to eating layers mash - dry food, which is crumbly - the other layers food is the same but in pellet form. Mixing up a pellet porridge is fine, but they do need to learn to eat layers mash or pellets as food should be available when they want it.

 

Good luck with the worming

[jomo1972]

OK.

 

Whats wrong with vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s? I've feed them to chickens all my life.

 

I'm confused...how long have you kept hens for?

 

There is nothing wrong with feeding hens kitchen vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s, but if you are worming, it is best to just feed the medicated pellets.

 

Exbattery hens are used to eating layers mash - dry food, which is crumbly - the other layers food is the same but in pellet form. Mixing up a pellet porridge is fine, but they do need to learn to eat layers mash or pellets as food should be available when they want it.

 

Good luck with the worming

 

Some 7 years or so. I've never had hens off lay for so long and never in the middle of summer.

 

I'm confused about the advice now. I feed them pellets. That is right, isn't it? that was what I was told to do. They do prefer it mixed with water.

[Egluntyne]

If you want to get them back into lay, worm them with the Flubenvet, as previously advised, cut out all treats, including s"Ooops, word censored!"s for a while (particularly whilst worming) and feed them on a good quality brand of either layers pellets or mash.

 

If there is no improvement after this, then you need to be thinking of other reasons why they might not be laying. I'd give them a basic health check anyway, to see if there are signs of anything else.

[Christian]

I'm confused about the advice now. I feed them pellets. That is right, isn't it? that was what I was told to do. They do prefer it mixed with water.

 

Yes, pellets is fine. However, ex battery hens would have been fed layers mash (dry) in the cages, so might not be used to pellets. Try them on layers mash (dry) with a few pellets mixed in, so they get used to them.

 

They will prefer the pellets or mash mixed with water, yes, but it will go stale very quickly and they should have access to dry food (wether it be pellets or dry mash) all the time.

 

Plus, as has been mentioned, worming is very important. Not point feeding up hens if they have worms, as the food won't be doing it's job.

[jomo1972]

I wormed them this morning.

 

They always do have access to dried food but they don't seem to enjoy it much.

 

They love the pellets mixed with water and it doesn't hang around long enough to go stale.

[Chucky Mama]

Great to hear everything is now in hand. Don't think there is much more to add so I will now lock this topic