SLOW egg production

[Vincentville farm]

I'm considering tossing out 'wiffle balls' to give them something to grab onto instead of one another. Has anyone had experience with chickens and balls? Do they like them? I have hanging mirrors, a swing, and xylophone that they ignore. What can I give them to decrease boredom that they will enjoy for more than a moment?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I use an all flock feed with 18% protein. I provide oyster shell for them in two places. I feed them a good scratch in the morning, soldier fly larva treat mid-day, and a fruit snack in the evening.

Stop the scratch and fruit. It’s taking away from their protein intake. I would up their protein to 20% feed as well. I agree with everyone else as well they are definitely not too young for their first molt. Some of mine started earlier this year at the beginning of August which coincidentally some of our trees started to turn yellow the same week some of them started molting. It was much earlier for both the trees and the chickens this year.

 

[nuthatched]

I use an all flock feed with 18% protein. I provide oyster shell for them in two places. I feed them a good scratch in the morning, soldier fly larva treat mid-day, and a fruit snack in the evening.

Cut out the snacks. That's way too much.
Can you get chick feed?

 

[Mrs. K]

Show us some pictures of your set up.

You are not going to have the production you have had in the past - but the eggs will be larger. Each year, they will be slower to start up after molt, and stop laying earlier in the year. The way a lot of people get around this, is to have a multi-generational flock, some young, daily layers, some older, larger eggs.

Adding pallets, up on cement blocks, leaned against a wall, in the middle of the run as a mini wall, will let birds get away from each other. This also allows you to place feed bowls so that a bird eating at one bowl, can't see a bird eating at another. Generally leads to a happier flock.

I would do the pines peepers - think about culling 1/3 of the flock, and adding 1/3 back in next spring, to get a multi-generational flock.
Also I would get them out of the mud, I use waste hay for that, but depending on your soil, it might not work.

Mrs K

 

[CHlCKEN]

Their first molt is their second summer/fall. Whoever told you that was misinformed.

Im thinking someone may have said that they don't molt until their second year and that was misinterpreted as literally two years old rather than second year of life.

 

[CHlCKEN]

They started this feather picking behavior during the summer, as well as the drop in egg production. We had light from 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night. They are also too young to for their first molt. I was told their first molt isn't until after they are two years old. And egg production slows a little at the two year mark.

Does look like picking. I agree with the above recommendations and especially blinders. You may watch them and see who is enacting the behavior or if it is an issue throughout the entire flock.

 

[Vincentville farm]

At 26 months old, they certainly are old enough to be going through a molt.

There space was limited for a while and they picked up a bad habit, even though the space has been corrected, the habit still remains.

You are correct, pinless peepers sounds like a good option. Put them on for a while, turn off the light and let the girls go through a natural molt and once fully feather back in, take the peepers off and see if the issue has been resolved.
At this point all of them have broken feathers and intact feather follicles in the skin, those will not be replaced until they molt.

At 26 months, production is going to be reduced. If production is your goal, then it may be better to keep production hens and rotate them out yearly, selling off the older hens once they start to molt.

I was discussing my chicken's issue with my husband and realized I calculated their age wrong. They are 15 months old. Had their first birthday in August this year. Sorry all.

 

[Vincentville farm]

Does look like picking. I agree with the above recommendations and especially blinders. You may watch them and see who is enacting the behavior or if it is an issue throughout the entire flock.

I truly wish I could watch them, but my husband is disabled and gets scared and angry if I'm out of his sight or hearing range when he calls for me. I get to tend / visit them 3-4 times a day for 1/2 hour or less.