Eggs or lack of them.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 16, 2011

It has just commenced Autumn which seems to be a signal for my chooks to stop laying.

To the people who rely on egg production for your living,how do you get them to perform instead of going on furlough.
Don't suppose placing an axe in the cage would help.

DownSouth · Apr 16, 2011

Don't think the axe will help, but you might get the roosters attention!
I put some outdoor lights in the coop wired into a timer that I can set to the on/off times of my choice. I usually add about 4 hours total to their day and it seems to help keep the egg production steady.

buickanddeere · Apr 16, 2011

Mine are on light timers but they still roost at sunset anyways.
Egg production is also temperature related.

teddy52food · Apr 16, 2011

Add some red pepper flakes to the feed & warm them up a little.

msb · Apr 16, 2011

Dad used to change their diet when it happened. Fed them some plain shelled corn.

Dell (WA) · Apr 16, 2011

Bendee.......chickens don't need roosters to lay eggs, they just need feed fulla CALCIUM (for strong shells) and LONG DAYLITE. Wintertime production need MORE daylite by timed lites. Eventually, hens stop laying 'cuz they are gonnna MOLT (loose feathers) But commercial egg outfits can't afford the 4-6mo loss of eggs due to molting so they send'em to the soup factory. Most commercial outfits gitt about 2-yrs of laying before hens go into molt. Surprizingly enuff, eggs outta molted chickens are BIGGER than they was laying before molting. .......eggy Dell

S.Crum · Apr 16, 2011

Had the kid at the local TSC giving a lot of thought to "chicken sexing" a couple years ago, Seems no one explained this perticular aspect of farming to him. Now I expect when a customer asked him if a chick is a "girl chick" or a "boy chick" he'd explain how to put them all in a dark room for about 30 minutes, then turn the lights on and see which one's crow. Mentioning lights in the chicken coop made me remember this

LincolnIA · Apr 16, 2011

Put a light in your hen house on a timer so it stays "daylight" about the same amount of hours it would in summer time. My hens lay year round this way.

old · Apr 16, 2011

There are a number of things you can do/try. #1 they need to be young birds or they slow down. Much over 2 years old and the egg productions slows. #2 having a light on 24/7 helps I have them on my chicken houses. #3 keep them warm as in keep the chicken houses above 50 year round if you can. #4 feed them a good feed with lots of protein and also oyster shells. #5 believe it or not feeding them hot peppers be it flakes or whole helps produce more eggs

CLTX · Apr 16, 2011

Bendee, If I recall correctly from my college poultry courses in the late '50s, the rule of thumb was to get rid of most of the layers after one year of age, possibly keeping the better layers, and keep none after two years of age. The one to two year old birds might pay their way, but not after that. I don't know whether that still applies today.

jason, NW Ontario · Apr 16, 2011

Keep a light on a timer in the coop. A target of 14 hours light minimum per day. Insulation shouldn't be a factor. Not sure if extra feed helps or not.

Jay

NW Ohio Tim · Apr 16, 2011

As others have said, put a light on a timer in the coop. 14 hours of daylight is what you are trying to simulate for peak production.

Set the timer to come on before the sun comes up in the morning..... if you do it in the evening, it messes up their roosting instincts.

We put a picture of The Col above the nest boxes for a little incentive

Good luck

Tim

Anonymous-0 · Apr 17, 2011

thanks to all, appreciate that.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 17, 2011

Light, doesn't have to be expensive. You get more light for less watts with florescent. I set mine at 16 hours starting the earliest that the sun rose in the year. The Col Sanders pic is an idea.
Wife's kids (previous marriage) were never around animals. Youngest came to live with us and I let him take over the chickens for a little responsibility and pocket money. I started slipping out early and taking all but a couple eggs. About a week later he was mad and ready to quit the lazy chickens. Told him he had to talk with them let them know he was serious. Didn't work, so I told him to give them one last warning and stick a hatchet in a chunk of wood and set it in the coop.
I quit gathering eggs and he was a believer...........
If it gets really cold in your area, maybe add a little protien. I always fed wheat and would mix in a little rabbit pellets and cracked corn in winter.

Good Luck,

Dave

Eggs or lack of them.

Anonymous-0

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DownSouth

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buickanddeere

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teddy52food

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msb

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Dell (WA)

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LincolnIA

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old

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