[jmx]

I'm sure others have asked this, but I can't find the link, anyhoo, I have 11 lady welsumers, who I have had for about 5 or 6 weeks.  They have Colin the cockerel to keep them company, and up to a week ago, were keeping us in plenty of lovely dark brown eggs.  Then one day I only got 3 eggs, and have had none since.  This does co-incide with builders coming to render the house, which leads out to the field where they freerange.  Would the disturbance of the builders upset them enough to stop them laying?  The only other thing I can think of is that before I had them, they were kept in a stable, which is what I did for the 1st 2 weeks, then I let them out, and they have got braver & braver and cover quite a bit of ground now.  Would that affect them?  I have not found any eggs any where else (I have looked).  They are eating and drinking well, and are lively, I have just had a large pen built and am awaiting a new super-dooper hen house, as we have quite a few foxes about, so if it is down to excessive free ranging I will have this controlled soon. Any suggestions?

[The Chicken Lady]

Mine are not laying as well and I discovered that crows were stealing some eggs. I had to make sure they laid in their nest boxes. They will not lay as well if they are over fed so only give layers mash or pellets in the morning and a few treats later in the day. Are going through a moult? Are they getting enough water - they drink alot :roll: You may find that they just start laying again soon. It may be the builders - mine are generally bomb proof and nothing bothers them. If everything is OK and they are not sick then I would -like me just carry on and wait and see :?

[jmx]

Thanks for that.  I must admit I think I overfeed them.  The 1st hens I had were ex-batts and they were so scrawny, bald & malnourished that I put lots of food down, and just kept topping it up letting them feed ad-lib.
I have done the same with the welsumers.  who are not scawny, bald or malnourished!  :oops:  How much should I give them daily as a rough guide?

[Gardening Mark]

Hi there I think I read somewhere on here that you only give 4 ounces of food per 3 hens and 1 cock, so it's roughly an ounce of food per hen per day...( But I always give more than that just to be sure. As some of the others might be greedy and take more than their share lol). I will keep an eye on this post just so we all know for sure!! They will lay again, but if they are anything like mine, 9 battery type hens but not ex battery, sometimes I can get 7,8 or even 9 (if I'm really really lucky lol), but mostly I will get 3, 4, 5 or maybe 6. Sometimes even 1, which gets me frustrated sometimes, laying well for a week then dodo for a fortnight. Thats hens for you, good luck with yours!!

[agapanthus]

Are you feeding them mixed cracked grain ie corn/maize? This does tend to make them fat and lazy and will go off the lay. Also could it be Colin upsetting them? Most hens lay better without a cockbird.....don't get pestered all the time!!

[jmx]

Colin does tend to jump one or two girls in the morning!  :oops: but then he follows them around.  I have found a secret stash of 11 eggs in the bushes this morning, and 3 eggs in the cowshed yesterday so it looks like the egg drought is over! I really did object to buying free range eggs in the supermarket, when I was feeding 13 hens!!!