[Maccbean]

I'm beginning to give up on getting any eggs from my girls.  I've made substantial changes to their diet (cutting out yoghurt completely, introducing limestone and calcium and changing to a better feed).  After spending a year getting one or two eggs each day, with the occasional softie (from five hens who were bought as poulets and are only now 2 years old), the only egg I'm getting is now is an occasional softie which is being scoffed by my girl who had the prolapse at the weekend!  It is just so frustrating.  None of them are showing any signs of illness, so I am now at a total loss of what to do.

I would be delighted to get any advice if you think it would help!

[Aunt Sally]

What breed are they ?

[8doubles]

If it belonged to me the egg eater would have to go . Bad habits can be copied by other hens and with me  it`s eggs 1st pets 2nd.

[Aunt Sally]

... the only egg I'm getting is now is an occasional softie which is being scoffed by my girl who had the prolapse at the weekend! 

All hens will eat softies or broken eggs - it's only sensible to do on a survival reasoning, waste of food not to as it could never turn into a chick.

It's hens that purposely break and eat good eggs that are the problem ones.

[Casey76]

If they are ISA browns/Warrens then it is possible they have finished laying if they are 2 years old.

[Maccbean]

There are two pure bred legbars, plus three hybrids, a sussex comet, red rocket and snow white.  I'm sure no good eggs are being broken, as the very thin shells are left behind when they are eaten, I've never found a hard egg shell.  I know one of the legbars has been laying the softies for about a year (the other one doesn't lay since an impacted crop).  Also, the snow white has been laying softies for about two months, but only very occasionally.

[Sassy]

I could understand an odd one of your chooks not laying but not all of them! Do you think they may have been a lot older than you were told. If you have some photos you could post on here of when you first got them, more experienced people than me may be able to advise on whether they really were pullets.

[Maccbean]

No they were definitely pullets, even I could see that! I bought them from two different suppliers on the same day, watched them mature and waited two months for my first egg.   

[hillfooter]

Without a doubt this isn't normal and if you are sure, and from what you say, it isn't nutrition and their water.  The only thing you haven't told us about is husbandry.  What is your housing and run area like.  Could they be subject to any stress, foxes cats dogs?  If these factors are negative then it is most likely an infection of some sort or possibly a previous infection which has left them with chronic ovary damage.  Is there any history of illness?

It's worth a course of antibiotics if you haven't tried this and I'd recommend Baytril se your vet.  If this doesn't work either I suggest they have some chronic condition which is causing it so all you can do would be to cull, clean up disinfect, leave fallow for a while and stat again from known good laying healthy stock.

I agree with Auntie eating soft eggs is no reason to cull as this is exactly what you want them to do.  Egg pecking in the nestbox is another matter though there are ways to try to stop this short of culling, but be aware that any hen will peck and eat an egg layed in a non viable place it can't be hatched in.
HF

[Maccbean]

We got one proper egg this morning ! They are in an omlet cube which is power washed once a week.  This is kept in an enclosed run that is built as a box (to stop foxes), with wood chip on the floor!  Hubby and I work at home, so they free range in the garden all day whilst we are there.  We have two labs who aren't bothered by them, and the cats got seen off by the chickens from the start!.   So no, I don't think stress is an issue.

There is no history of illness, and although there are no outward signs of illness, I wondered if some sort of infection was causing it.  I truly couldn't cull them, it would be too mean from my perspective.  I'd have to let them live without earning a living then start again when they've all pegged it!

I will however, take your advice, see a vet and see if antibiotics will help.  Thanks

[joyfull]

at last - I hope you took a photo of it 

[hillfooter]

I can't see that you are doing anything wrong other than over pampering them!  Most chx don't get such good treatment and happily lay.  If it wasn't that they all seemsed top have a problem I wouldn't suggest treatment but it's certainly worth a try.  If your vet asks how much do they drink and your don't know typically they will drink twice as much in mL as they eat in mg of feed.  So I would think for typical hybrids about 200ml a day per bird so ask for 250mL.  It's always best to have a bit in hand. Baytril is usually 1mL per litre (or was at the a concentration I had which i can't now remember) 

I recently treat a small flock of hens with Baytril when a couple of individuals had respiratory distress and the egg shells improved a lot and from getting less than 50% productivity I'm now close to 90% from 3 rd season birds.  baytril does seem to encourage appetite too which you would expect with egg production increasing.
HF

[Maccbean]

I've spoken to the vet, who doesn't think it would be an infection, but is happy to give me Baytril to try.  However, I've just ordered it, and they only have the 2.5% kind.  I've done a bit of research, and most descriptions say 2.5% shouldn't be given to chickens.  Has anyone used this successfully before?  If so, how much and what is the withdrawal period?

[joyfull]

I have never used baytril as I didn't think it was licensed for chickens instead I use either Aureomycin, Denagard or Tylan all of which are and with these there is no egg withdrawal so am unable to help you with baytril. If it says not for poultry then I would be very wary of using that strength (that strength is probably for cattle or pigs). I do know there are varying ideas about the egg withdrawal with baytril ranging from 2 weeks to a lifetime ban though. Perhaps Hillfooter will be able to advise you on this strength as he uses baytril but looking on bayers website (although it hasn't been updated since 2008) they recomend baytril 10% oral solution - but again it doesn't say which country this is for.

[hillfooter]

Joyfull is partly right here.

The datasheets to refer to are available on the NOAH site for both 2.5% & 10%

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Bayer_plc/Baytril_10_ACU-_Oral_Solution/-23507.html

2.5% is for calves and exotics whereas 10% is for poultry (actually meat birds).  I'd try for this if possible.   There's therefore no recommended withdrawal for eggs.  Though it's 8 days for meat.

HF