Hens not laying... help!

Hi All,

I am the first to admit I am a novice in the chicken keeping world and am in need of some advice from all you experts out there!

I have two Rhode Islands Reds which have both not laid since July. The main reason I think was that I was unlucky enough to be infested with Red mites, which throughout August/September I was battling to see the back of. This involved constantly powdering the girls and disinfecting the hut and also replacing the roosting bars. It was the most unpleasant experience that do not wish to repeat!

At the time I thought I had cured the initial egg laying problem by seeing the back of the mites in September, little did I know that they would then start to loose feathers. I am not sure if this was a malting thing or linked to the mites. This soon stopped though and again but still no eggs.

The only other thing that I have noticed which could be a link is that post mite problem they have insisted in sleeping in the nest box and not roosting on the new bars, I assume because they now associate roosting with getting bitten by mites.

I feed them organic egg layers pellets and lots of scraps from the kitchen. Do you think it is a diet thing and that I should forget the scraps?

I would be grateful for any help

 

Are they going into the nest boxes during the day or just at night. I know it's supposed to be the wrong time of year but could they have gone broody? My 3 all went broody within a week of each other and despite trying everything to put a stop to it, it was only yesterday that 2 of them seem to have given up and are out in the garden again, but it took 7 weeks!

Hi Buttons   
                    Aunt Sally did a great Sticky on this have a look it should help you

 http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0

  Alby

Oh Daniel, poor you. I remember a time like that myself...it made me want to give up choox forever   But i'm glad I didnt. Getting rid of the red mite is no mean feat, well done you.

Other mites include lice and northern mite, similar but very pale in colour, and live ON THE BIRD, not in the coop. You can usually see clumps at the very base of feathers, usually around bum/tail feathers, or some live on crests/around the ears.  I think the chances are, all the work you did getting rid of red mites, will have got rid of the others too.  I dust mine, birds AND coops with diatom weekly, and spray coops with poultry shield. Its expensive, and a bit of a pain, but  I cant stand those little red devils.

Also, if they were badly infested, the girls may be a little anaemic, and so quickly followed by their moult, they must need a rest, might be Feb before they come back into lay. They need the well-balanced diet that good quality layers pellets give them, and avoid treats for a while, making sure they get plenty of the pellets.(the cheeky things have been known to just wait for their treats )

omg, this is turning into a HUGE post,  ::)sorry.

At night, run a white piece of loo roll/paper under the roosting bars, any sign of red dots/smudges...redmite!! If clear, just gently lift the girls and settle them on the perches. after 2-3 nights of this, they should roost again, thus keeping the nest box clean for eggs.

Thus endeth.....hope it helps,...sorry so longwinded