Wellsummers NOT laying

[Bandit37804]

My Welsummers are 10 months old. I have 9 of them and I am only getting 1 to 2 eggs a day!! I am very, VERY disappointed. My Welsummers are in with 4 Easter Eggers and 1 EE roo.

In fact, all my chickens are not producing well at all. I have 35 other hens....some Buff Orpingtons, Black Sex Links, Golden Comets, and other mixed hens. From this group of 35, I am only getting 6 to 8 eggs. This is way down from the 20-24 I was getting.

Our weather has been yo-yoking up and down on temperatures. I am giving them supplemental lighting. I don't know what else to do!

Can anyone help?

 

[aoxa]

What are you feeding them?

Did you raise them from chicks, or buy them grown? Sometimes the age the breeder gives you is not right.

I know my EEs are producing like crazy and they get 12 hours of light a day and are 7 months old.

We are in Eastern Canada, so cold temps do not stop them.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It's normal for this time of year. Most of my pullets have just started up, some of my older hens are back to laying from molt. But I do have others that are not back in the game yet. Only 2 of my welsummers are laying right now. Give them a bit more time and you should get some nice eggs out of them.

What are you feeding them? And are they hatchery or breeder stock?

 

[Bandit37804]

I ordered all of them as chicks from Cackle Hatchery in March of last year. The EE are not laying well either. I usually get 1 green egg every day from the 4 hens BUT I have not had a green egg in 3 days! From the 9 Welsummers, I may get 2, if I am lucky. So 3 eggs average from these 13 hens. I am not happy.

I was feeding them layer pellets. Switched to a higher protein feed which helped for about a week or so, then back to the pitiful laying.

I have 37 other hens, some Buffs, some mixed. From the 37, I am getting 6 or 7 eggs a day,

I am SO frustrated. I have customers that buy from me each week and I just don't have the eggs to sell them.

Could they be wormy? Do I need to add Apple Cider Vinegar to their water?

Thanks to all who respond!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I am not familiar with hatchery welsummers. Mine are breeder quality. They generally are not great layers during winter. But the rest of the year mine do quite well laying.

 

[aart]

How big is their coop?
Are there any roosters in the flock?
Do they free range?
What are the supplemental lighting details....wattage, times, etc?
Are you free feeding them, so they get all they can eat?
Do you feed anything else, kitchen scraps, etc?
Do you offer supplemental oyster shell on the side?
I assume they have liquid water at all times.

You can add your location to your profile, can help with advise sometimes.
Not all chickens lay eggs every day, I've read that is especially true of EE's.
There are many things that can stress a hen (including your stress) predators, crowding, illness......
...and as with any living animal there are no guarantees.
I have customers too, but they understand that this is not a grocery store and I may not have what they need when they need it.

Anyway, that's my two sense and possible considerations, hope some of it helps.

 

[Bandit37804]

thank you for your responses. I guess I am just disappointed in the Welsummers. 11 months old and only 1 to 3 eggs from the 9 of them. This morning I finally got 1 green egg from the 4 Easter Eggers....after 3 days of nothing. It has turned bitterly cold here again so I assume I will get very few eggs from all my hens. I can't wait for permanent warmer weather!

Yes, they have layer pellets at all times, plenty of water, occasional kitchen scraps, occasional handful of scratch and 2 1/2 hours of supplemental lighting per day. I didn't have this problem last year. Guess it is time to add some proven layers to the flock this year.

 

[TheChickInn]

Interesting.....Wellsummers are usually great layers! I'm sure you must be frustrated. Are they receiving 12-14 hours of supplemental light each day? Do they have good water access? I would think that yours would be too young to worry about a molt- but you never know. I hatch out my own eggs every Dec.-Jan. for the upcoming show season. What I have found to really amp. up production is to deworm everything in Nov., offer 14 hrs. of light. and to increase protein. In winter, I feed a mix of high protein pellets (Naturewise feather fixer), scratch, and sunflower seeds. My biggest problem this time of year is trying to collect all of the eggs before they freeze.