We got eggs! Just kidding

[DDavie22]

Hello! First post here
I received my 2 black Australorps and a Rhode Island red pullets in August 24. First Austra laid mid December, second in Jan followed by the RIR (my best guess based on egg appearance). Now only one hen is laying, I am guessing the the girl that laid in Dec. The other two haven't laid since the middle of Feb. Just wondering if this is normal or if I need to change their feed or somwthing else? They are acting completely fine as the were when laying. Thank you!

 

[FrostRanger]

What are they eating now and how old are they?
Also, welcome to BYC!

 

[DDavie22]

What are they eating now and how old are they?
Also, welcome to BYC!

Thank you! Happy to be here
They have only had Producers pride 16% layer crumble from tractor supply.
I am not sure how old they are they are from Heritage pullets

 

[FrostRanger]

I would switch to an all flock \ith oyster shell on the side at least for the time being. It won't make them lay (while improper nutrition can prevent birds from laying, no feed will force a chicken to lay and no, while it does have less protein than I'd like, what you're currently feeding is not preventing them from laying), but the extra calcium in layer feed is bad for any bird not actively laying eggs
Other than that, there's really not anything you can do but be patient unfortunately. With spring being near though I do expect they should start back up soon

 

[DDavie22]

Thank you so much for the information. They are about out of feed so I will try the all flock. I do add all the egg shells we eat (back yard and store) back into their feed bucket. They get black soldier fly larvae treats. I have let the free range a few days a week now that they are established at our new house/yard.
With that I do have a few other questions, should I got to a different thread or can I ask you?
If so my questions are..
My buddy is going to give us 2 laying hens (cinnamon queen and Ameraucanua) I think they are 18 months. I have a coop that can hold 6 hens, 2 nesting boxes. They have a 10x10 run. What would be the best way to incorporate the 2 hens into my current flock?
I thought about switching from pine shavings to a sand material in the coop (not nest boxes) for ease of cleaning, what material would you suggest?

 

[FrostRanger]

Thank you so much for the information. They are about out of feed so I will try the all flock. I do add all the egg shells we eat (back yard and store) back into their feed bucket. They get black soldier fly larvae treats. I have let the free range a few days a week now that they are established at our new house/yard.
With that I do have a few other questions, should I got to a different thread or can I ask you?
If so my questions are..
My buddy is going to give us 2 laying hens (cinnamon queen and Ameraucanua) I think they are 18 months. I have a coop that can hold 6 hens, 2 nesting boxes. They have a 10x10 run. What would be the best way to incorporate the 2 hens into my current flock?
I thought about switching from pine shavings to a sand material in the coop (not nest boxes) for ease of cleaning, what material would you suggest?

How big is the coop in feet? If it's a prefab, they always overstate how many birds they can hold. Egg shells are fine, but you also need oyster shell especially if you're feeding all flock as feeding back eggshells won't provide enough calcium. You also don't want to mix it in with their feed, you want to have it in a separate dish so they can self regulate their calcium.

One's choice of coop substrate depends on several things, mainly climate and personal preference. I personally use pine shavings, mulch and leaf litter as I use the deep litter method but if you're curious about sand, try it and see how it works for you. Doesn't fit my management style, but plenty of people do like it

 

[DDavie22]

How big is the coop in feet? If it's a prefab, they always overstate how many birds they can hold. Egg shells are fine, but you also need oyster shell especially if you're feeding all flock as feeding back eggshells won't provide enough calcium. You also don't want to mix it in with their feed, you want to have it in a separate dish so they can self regulate their calcium.

One's choice of coop substrate depends on several things, mainly climate and personal preference. I personally use pine shavings, mulch and leaf litter as I use the deep litter method but if you're curious about sand, try it and see how it works for you. Doesn't fit my management style, but plenty of people do like it

Understood! Thank you SO much for all the information and quick responses! You're amazing

 

[FrostRanger]

Easiest integration method is the see but no touch method but before you start integrating, quarantine the new birds as far away from your existing flock as possible to make sure they're healthy. Even if they seem healthy at your buddy's place, the stress of moving can sometimes make birds more prone to illnesses. After that, I would section off a portion of the run and place the new birds in there for 2 weeks or so. If all seems peaceful after that, let them mingle. There will be some chasing and pecking, but as long as no blood is being drawn, let them sort it out

Also be aware that at 18 months old they are near the end of their most productive laying days. They should still give you plenty of eggs, but hens lay their best in their first 2 years of life. Production hybrids like the cinnamon queen in particular may drop off hard and are more prone to reproductive issues. They were bred to lay as many eggs as possible but not to necessarily lay for a long time or be particularly healthy. Not to say that you will run into issues, just that it's more likely to happen

 

[DDavie22]

Easiest integration method is the see but no touch method but before you start integrating, quarantine the new birds as far away from your existing flock as possible to make sure they're healthy. Even if they seem healthy at your buddy's place, the stress of moving can sometimes make birds more prone to illnesses. After that, I would section off a portion of the run and place the new birds in there for 2 weeks or so. If all seems peaceful after that, let them mingle. There will be some chasing and pecking, but as long as no blood is being drawn, let them sort it out

Also be aware that at 18 months old they are near the end of their most productive laying days. They should still give you plenty of eggs, but hens lay their best in their first 2 years of life. Production hybrids like the cinnamon queen in particular may drop off hard and are more prone to reproductive issues. They were bred to lay as many eggs as possible but not to necessarily lay for a long time or be particularly healthy. Not to say that you will run into issues, just that it's more likely to happen

Mh interesting. Thanks for that. One of the reasons I wanted heritage breeds