Chicken bald back

[Cinnamonhot]

Hi everyone

I got my ladies back in May and the poultry lady said they were about 15 weeks at the time. Admittedly these aren't the best egg layers I would have guessed they'd have laid at least once a week? They are all looking happy and eating well. But I have no point of reference as this is my first time keeping chickens.

The breeds are (one of each):

Silver Spangled Hamburg

Silver Pencilled Wyandotte

Golden Pekin Bantam

Leghorn

Brown Buffed Laced Wyandotte

 

Except for the Leghorn none of them grew combs or wattles of any significance or any at all. I'm starting to think something is wrong. They are feeding on the layers pellets from the same poultry farm we got them and the Eglu. Also as a treat I'd give them a handful of corn in the mornings. They go through the layers pellets pretty well so I don't know what is going on. This year has been exteremly nice in terms of weather too. They had and still do a large garden to roam and scavenge and dig holes. I'm starting to think maybe they are unable to lay or maybe bad timing now the days are shorter.

Anyways....Any insight would be highly welcomed.

[Olly]

Welcome to the forum. Even if they weren't 15 weeks old when you got them, they should be old enough to lay by now.

 

Have you not had any eggs at all? Pure breed hens will lay less frequently than hybrids and may give up laying altogether in winter but over the summer I'd expect them to have laid.

 

A handful of corn shouldn't be a problem but feeding too many treats can mean they don't eat enough pellets, so make sure it's not too much. Have you worked them at all? If not I'd try that as a first step, it can often stimulate laying although at this time of year you may still not get any eggs.

 

No other ideas I'm afraid but someone else here may have some suggestions.

[Cinnamonhot]

Hi Olly!

Thanks for taking time to respond.

 

I keep looking under all the bushes and trees. Nothing! I thought I would have some eggs by now too...

 

I've not wormed them since bringing them home. I'll get some tomorrow and try. Thanks for the advice!

[sjp]

I'd have thought you'd be getting more than one egg a week from each of them. the leghorn and the dotties should be a good layers at least 5 eggs a week

I'd stop the corn in the morning you can give them a bit late afternoon nut it's not necessary

if there getting through more than 4 kgs of feed a day between them then they A: need worming ( which wouldn't hurt doing any way) and B: a different brand of feed

there could also be a very simple reason your not getting eggs if they free range all day the little madams could be laying 'away', under a bush or hedge behind or inside an outbuilding or someone or something is steeling the eggs

how long have you been getting eggs?

[Beantree]

Bit of a puzzler this Cinnamonhot? Even Pedigrees should have laid by 30 weeks. Obviously they should have been wormed by now and that may have an effect on egg quality. But you should have seen something, certainly from the Leghorn. Wyandottes have a 'rose' comb which can be quite small but effective in Winter because of reduced heat loss.

 

I am inclined to SJP's explanation. Something, or someone is stealing the eggs. Rats, squirrels, magpies and neighbours can all get into coops. I had to fit a padlock to the nest box lid when ours mysteriously stopped laying. They restarted immediately after it was fitted.

 

But it is coming up to Winter now and some Pedigrees, even youngsters, will stop laying. But you should still be getting something. So you need to look for the thief I think?

[Olly]

I didn't realise they were free ranging. I would confine them to their run for a couple of days - it'll do them no harm - and then you'll find out very quickly if they are laying or not. That seems much more likely to me than that you have got five mature hens who are not laying at all. They should ideally be kept in while you are worming them anyway.

[sjp]

I've been wondering about their age but were they were as old as you were told 15 week old in May would make the mid January - Mid February hatchlings

it's also possible that they haven't all started to lay yet if they are laying or are older girls then they should have a good size on their combs and wattles and layers will be bright red none laying birds anything from darkish pink through 'washed out' red to red the leghorn will have a big set of head gear

if they haven't yet started to lay then the head gear will be small and a yellowery skin colour to light red and getting redder the closer they get to laying which can be anytime from now to March time last week I'd have said anytime from Christmas 'till March but I've had 2 or 3 girls start to lay again this last week so there is still a hope of eggs

[Cat tails]

Mine were 12 weeks in May, so February hatchlings. They've started laying in August and ever since (apart from silly Ginger, who thinks she's too posh for the whole egg laying business)

[mullethunter]

My pekins are both about that age, and although one has just gone broody the other still has small yellow comb and wattles and shows no sign of laying. Maybe some just take a really long time to be ready?

[Purplemaniacs]

My Wyandotte bantams are a couple of years old, they laid in the first part of the year but haven't laid for months.

 

They are rather part-timers as far as egg laying is concerned.

 

Chrissie

[mullethunter]

My Wyandottes are the same Chrissie - both in age and egg laying habit

[Cinnamonhot]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I tried to get some deworming meds this weekend with no success. I ordered some Verm-X so as soon as it comes I will mix it with their feed.

 

Locking them in their 2m run is a good idea to check whether they lay at all! I had them locked for a week about a month ago in their run with neighbour checking feed and water everyday while I was away for a family emergency. But no eggs then either. She is too nice to steal them and I told her to take if they lay any at all!

 

I'm trying to find a way to post my chickens pictures from this morning for advice but maybe there is no option on the iPad version of the forum?

 

Update - I can't seem to embed the picture some of the chickens. Here's a link to the pictures. https://www.pinterest.com/arcshot/chickens/

[Olly]

You need to have posted a few more times before you can add photos - sorry, anti-spam device.

[Purplemaniacs]

I would use flubenvet rather than Verm-x.

 

Chrissie

[Cinnamonhot]

Reviews for Verm-x said it worked as well as any other wormer but with added benefits. Do you think Flubenvet is a sure way of getting rid of worms? I just don't know... Guess I'll find out soon.

 

I tried keeping them in their Eglu 2m run today. Had to give up mid afternoon as they were not happy at all. Clucking loudly all day long to get out. As soon as they get out they were stretching their wings and flying high and far as they do. I'm beginning to think they are not chickens!! This evening I ordered a 4 (d)x 3 (w) x 2 m(h) completely enclosed walk in run. If they are laying, it has got to be within that space.

 

Expensive ladies they are!

[Purplemaniacs]

When I got my first lot of chickens I bought some Verm-X and then I read posts on here about worming and I bought Flubenvet. I threw the Verm-X away as it sat in the cupboard not being used.

 

Look on the forum and you will find lots of info about both.

 

Chrissie

[Beantree]

We used to use Verm-X at the halfway point between Flubenvet treatment every 6 months and on reflection, after worming this time at 6 months, that's too late. So we either go back to Verm-X at the halfway point or change the Flubenvet to 4 months.

[Cinnamonhot]

Thanks Chrissie and Beantree.

 

I was planning on using Verm-X monthly for 3 consecutive days like suggested. This may not be the best time of the year to expect them to lay but if they have the bug, at least it'll help clear.

 

This morning cleared the area where the new big run will be installed. I removed the Omlet fishnet fencing as it made no difference whatsoever. Something kept cutting through the netting and chickens walk through the gaps. Crossing fingers it doesn't pour while I'm trying to put together the new run... I think it'll be a good compromise - they won't be free ranging now but it's big enough that I don't feel bad about keeping them in there. Heck most people don't get 4m x 3m rooms! Spoiled chickens they are!

[sparkysmum]

I cant help thinking it is age and time of year. My faverolle and araucana didnt lay until they were 9months old and both started laying around March. I reckon that even if Cinnamonhot's hens were sufficiently mature to lay just now, they wont actually do so because of lack of light. A rather long winded way of saying, you will prob have to wait till spring now . Sorry. Ax

[Cinnamonhot]

Thanks Sparkysmum. I now know they definitely don't lay eggs just yet. They've been kept in their 2m run for 3 days while I administered Verm-x. They don't go through feed excessively. They aren't subdued. Other than the Leghorn none of them grew much of combs or wattles. So I think you are right. They are slow to develop and now they are back in their Eglu by 4pm! As long as they are happy and healthy I don't mind waiting till Spring. I will post as soon as they lay an egg. Either that or they are going to be part of the roast dinner at Easter! (Just kidding)

[Cinnamonhot]

I'VE GOT AN EGG!!!

 

Hahaha.. so happy!

 

After giving them Verm-X they all started to grow combs and wattles. Only if I had known earlier... Lesson learned!

 

Today I heard a very odd clucking.. very different than any other... and found a tiny little egg!

 

So we'll see if the other ones will follow suit.

[Beantree]

Congratulations Cinnamonhot and well done that little girl. Only a week from the shortest day as well.

 

Sounds like the Verm-X had some effect, as used to do with ours. But it's not a complete wormer and a few years back they changed their packaging from 'internal parasite control' to say 'intestinal hygiene' I think? The details on their site say that some owners alternate between their product and a pharmaceutical product like Flubenvet, which is what we used to do and I think we'll go back to that. The good thing about Verm-X is the short treatment time, 3 days not 7.

 

So just waiting for the others then. We are weighing all our pullet eggs at the moment to see at what rate the weights increase. Pretty slowly it seems up from 50 g to about 58 g so far.

[Cinnamonhot]

I just weighed my only egg and it's only 33g!

 

I'll weigh all of them to see if it improves but these are only bantams so maybe they don't get much bigger?

[Beantree]

Our Leghorn bantams laid eggs around 52 grammes after a year or so and are reputed to lay big eggs for bantams. We didn't have accurate scales when they started so I don't know how much they generally increase by? If I made a very wild guess and said 30%, that would make your eggs a year on about 40 grammes. That's not bad considering how small bantams are because 3 eggs would weigh about the same as two large fowl eggs. I have heard that ratio quoted in the past.