[zena_warrior_chicken]

Hi,

I'm new to this group, a first-time chicken owner, and I need some help with my chickens.   

Their poop has whitish flakes in it and they're not laying eggs (for almost 4 months now).
Could the white "flakes be worm casings? Or residue from a parasite? 

I've never given them a worm RX before...

4 out of my 6 chickens are not laying eggs (the Ameraucana chickens) 

They're all a year old.

They were laying eggs normally and were producing about 1 egg-a-day each until the heat of summer in July... I'm in Fl and the heat got intense. When they slowed down in egg production, I gave them some electrolytes(sp?) in the water (per the Local Feed Store's Advice) and tried to create more shade for them. It did not help.

They seem to eat and drink normally and look healthy. They are fed layer pellets with oyster shell mixed in, grit, and the occasional kitchen&Garden scraps. They're water is not filtered... It's from a well.

Also, maybe I've fed them a harmful plant??? :blink: I had an overwhelming pumpkin plant production this summer and I gave them a lot of the leaves and tomato plants to pick at. 

Any suggestions or ideas of what is going wrong??

Thank you so much!

[ehs284]

Hi, I'm no expert and know nothing about Florida, but, seeing that nobody else has stepped in, here are my first thoughts.
You could have a look at the flecks under a low power microscope, but if you've had them a year and they've never been wormed then it's probably a good idea to do it anyway. You can get pictures online of worm segments etc - maybe for other animals, but the basic shape is similar.
The well water won't do them any harm unless full of toxic material and I guess that's not the case. A few bacteria or a hard water won't be a problem. Tomato flowers and leaves are not so good and can be toxic in large amounts. However, if they're OK now then no need to worry. Not a problem, but many people find that the chooks prefer the oyster grit in a seperate bowl.
It does seem that once birds have stopped laying for the year, they don't restart until the 'season' comes round again. You need to speak to local people about this as the triggers (light and daylength mostly) must be very different in your part of the world as must the normal laying season.
Hope this helps a bit.