[Thompson24]

Hi guys

I have 19 chickens all off which are between 30-38 weeks bought from three different breeders  Ive had them now about 12 weeks.  They started to lay the odd couple of eggs about a week after i got them but have had none for over 10 weeks!  Could they have all got a desease which has stopped them laying?  Its costing me a fortune in layers pellets etc and getting nothing back?

[power_of_p3]

Could it be that they are either in moult or coming into moult?  One of ours has just started to moult now after she'd been broody for a week, strange timing for both of those I know but she's only about 25-26 week now and she was laying for three weeks before she went broody.

Also, considering that you got 19 birds from 3 diferent breeders did you quarantine then in three seperate areas before putting them in together, could be that you have passed something around unknowingly.

BB ~~jo~~

[grumpydad]

we have had broody then moulting, silly time to loose your feathers but thats nature.
chucks will only lay eggs when they are happy and fully fit, being broody or moulting stops egg production, as well as any form of illness, just need to find out which it is.
this years chucks should, or s it seems only have a partial moult, we have had 2 extremes, from full to none, thats nature for you.

[power_of_p3]

Hey, grumpydad,

yeah, does seem a bit strange of nature to strain the bird with being broody them moulting, but like you say that's nature Cause we had a couple do a partial moult, niether of which have ever layed and still aren't, one that hasn't moulted at all but started laying and one that was laying, went broody and then started moulting. 

 Also good point about them needing to be happy.  If they were used to only being a few in a pen together and you sudden;y stuck 19 altogether that would be quite stressful for them all.  Did you introduce slowly, i.e. being able to see each other before they were together or were they just put straight in together?  Cause that could be another stress factor, the fact that so many have had to sort out the pecking order and they haven't quite settled down yet.

Although having said all that, one of our friends got a trio of welsummers at 18 week old about 2 months ago and none of his have layed yet either.  They are clearly not moulting, never layed so wouldn't be broody right? and they aren't unwell at all.  I think it's just a case of they haven't settled into where they are yet sometimes.  I dunno, I've foudn chickens can be very....tempramental....sometimes, they do what they want, no answers given lol


BB  ~~jo~~

[grumpydad]

we had 6 then lost 3 to mareks and cocci, have disinfected etc, and made sure the 3 remaining were ok, and have just had 3 more little bantams from, debbie, chickenlady.
they are in a seperate pen in the garden that i move around, the 3 older ones free roam, and can walk around the pen. we have had a couple of stand offs, but they are getting to know each other.
when the little ones are a bit older and on layers pellets, then i will put them all in the same big run, still expect a few stand offs, but they have plenty of room to get away from each other.
at the most, i would have 2 more bantams, but thats it, i dont want to overcrowd and cause extra stress if they have to stay in the run together.

[Angus]

ours had a very shakey start with small and odd shapes they went off it for a couple of weeks we got the odd one then out of the blue we are on 100%  production now, despite us thinking they would slow down or stop now and they have not had a moult either.  Ours are seven months to eight months old now. 

[Brambles]

After 5 years of NO eggs, my little Silkie laid 11 eggs... now she is broody   My other girls are not laying every day now, my guess it is the cut-down of daylight hours.

[Angus]

Go for it Silkie girl she has been formulating her plan of action for a few years

[peter o]

hi
dosen,t it depend on breed, dont some breeds of chikcken just shut down production for a winter break?

[Sarah Mitchell]

I suspect the stress of moving to a new home and the change in weather has had something to do with it.  You may also want to worm them if they haven't been done as this can stop them laying.  I didn't think hens moulted in their first year?  But maybe I'm mistaken.  My young hens just started laying before the cold and wet put them off and they are only just starting up again. 

You can expect a down turn in production each year as they moult - this is when battery farmers normally cull their birds as they can't afford to feed them without them laying.  Luckily for your hens they aren't going to suffer the same fate 

Oh and moulting isn't an exact science either... I've had mine moult in August and even as late as December (like they just forgot they needed nice new feathers for the winter!).  And after a broody hatches her eggs it can look like the fox has got into the pen there are so many feathers around!

Good luck!

[Roughlee Handled]

Thompson24
What breed are your chickens. If they are pure breed then most do not lay in the winter.