[pepsi100]

Why have my hens gone off laying ?
I haven't changed their diet (in fact I have increased the amount of green stuff they get)
I have a light in the coop until about 8 pm, that doesn't just shut off its a slow shut down, bit like a dimmer, it comes on about 6 am
Anything I can do to get them to increase (and pay their way) their egg laying ?

[nerdle]

It's winter.  Are they pure breeds?- or hybrids?

Egg production starts with sunlight in the eye - if it's gone a bit dark and rainy the system hasn't been kick started.

[pepsi100]

As we haven't seen any sunshine for quite a time I can understand then, so having the light on in the cop isn't really going to help (or the extra feed) ?

[grinling]

unless they are this years hatch they will prob take this year off. The pellets is more important, victorian Farm or medieval farm on bbc covered this

[pepsi100]

Ah, I was away when this was aired

Nope my hens are a couple of years old now, I thought they would have sorted out the pecking order, but there are stil scuffles, I thought it would have stopped when the cockerel was put in there, but he is just pushed aside when treat go in there, he is lucky to get a peck at the cabbage or lettuce that go in there

well got 3 eggs today, so they haven't completely forgotten how to lay

[Sassy]

Ah, I was away when this was aired

Nope my hens are a couple of years old now, I thought they would have sorted out the pecking order, but there are stil scuffles, I thought it would have stopped when the cockerel was put in there, but he is just pushed aside when treat go in there, he is lucky to get a peck at the cabbage or lettuce that go in there

well got 3 eggs today, so they haven't completely forgotten how to lay

If you watch the behaviour of the cockerel he calls the girls over when he finds a tasty morsel and lets them have it

[pepsi100]

Yup he does that a lot, he doesn't seem to get much of the treats, always gives it to the hens, but usually he just gets pushed out of the way, especially when porridge is given to them

[Sassy]

A true gent