goodinparts Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Hi omleteers...I've been absent forever - but all has been trundling along happily for the vicarage hens til this past month or so...We had red mite about a month ago and since then my prolific layers have pretty much ground to a halt. What's more the hybrid girls have slightly grubby knickers - but having had a good look I really can't see any sign of critters lurking in the feathers and in any case have treated them with ivermectrin. They were wormed with flubenvet 5 weeks ago - so it shouldn't really be that... Is it possible that all my big gals, being of a similar age (3 plus), have decided to stop laying at the same time? Could the red mite have just triggered retirement from active laying or am I ignoring something obvious or sinister or......?? Apart from grubby knickers and lack of eggs they are their usual happy selves - though we were getting a few softies before they stopped laying altogether - so I've been adding limestone flour to their pellets. They freerange in the garden, don't get regular treats...and I've not changed their routine in any way so advice would be hugely welcome. Spacechick- the lovely frizzle girls Serena and Joy are still laying cheerfully - clearly you brought them up very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 It depends on the hen, but at 3 years old it is possible they have just given up on laying. You might get the odd one - my late lamented Sadie lived to 6 and was popping out occasional eggs in her 5th year - but if they are the same breed, then they may have just reached the hennopause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
