[SUTTY1]

In August a friend of mine at the alotments and myself bought 6 ex-bats each, from the same flock.  All 12 have feathered up very well and look great.
 Mine are my 1st and only chooks and have laid well from day 1 except for odd time, moulting etc.
My friend already had 6 chooks about 3yrs old of various breeds and laying well. His ex-bats were initially placed in a seperate coup and run right next to his other birds,only seperated by chicken wire. After 10 days he let the 2 groups mix. There was initial pecking and feather pulling for a few days but all settled down quite quickly. Problem being by the end of the month no eggs and now 3mths later still no eggs!!!!!!
All chooks appear fit and healthy and dont appear to fight even off a night when in the coup.
Any ideas any one!!!!!

Thanks
Steve

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, well done for getting ex-batts
Ok, the ex-batts are not really expected to lay, although many of us with ex-batts still get a fair amount of eggs from them. Remember tho, the farmer see's them as spent, so any eggs you get are a bonus. Many chickens have stopped laying altogether at the moment, the darker night are natures way of giving our girls a well deserved rest from providing us with fab eggs the rest of the time. Laying takes it out of them, and they have to be allowed time to rest the days are getting longer, the snow will go soon and spring will hopefully bring warmer weather. The girls wil be happier and hopefully will start laying again. Its probably a good idea to check them all for crawlies (lice etc), and ask your mate when they were wormed, good idea to give thema bit of a MOT, just in case

[IMOmimey]

I would have a very THOROUGH check around, in case they have found a secret hiding place to lay...they crawl through smallish holes, such as UNDER THE SHED!!!  and lay eggs where you cant steal them 

[dizzylizzie]

Thats a very good point actually, i always forget theycould be laying away

[SUTTY1]

Thanks for the advice. Checked with friend today and they have been wormed etc and no hidden eggs. he's going to try seperating them again and see what happens.
Fell really sorry for him he is trying everything!

[dizzylizzie]

I dont think he should seperate them if they are all living happily! many peoples chooks arnt laying at the moment....also if anything stops a chuck from laying, disruption will!

[IMOmimey]

I'm with Dizzy on that, it can take a couple of weeks after moving them for them to get settled again, it can be stressful. They have probably sorted out their pecking order, and who is head hen, and then if you separate them, they will have to through that all over again

[Sassy]

You could try compaing regimes, routines and feeding

[SUTTY1]

once again adviced acted on a chooks left together. He's decided if he waited 4 months whats a couple more matter.
So he building them a new run and house for the spring and hope for the best as daylight increases!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sarah Mitchell]

Hi Sutty

As a rule hens don't lay in the winter and some will go months without laying anything but, as long as they are healthy, once the daylight increases in the spring your friend should start getting some lovely eggs.  Definitely something to look forward to 

[IMOmimey]

Remember....chooks are born with a finite number of potential eggs. Hybrids tend to lay really well for first couple of years, then nothing much. These weeks/months of having no eggs wont be wasted, so long as the girlies are happy and healthy, they will just lay for longer.   

[ynysmonron]

I got eight ex batts on Sunday, and have had 22 eggs so far yipeee.

[SUTTY1]

Congratulations on new hens and the eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm averaging 3 a day off 6 so i'm happy with some spare to give to my friend too.