[redreet]

Can anyone help!?  We rescued 24 warrens from a battery two months ago.  For the first ten 10 days they were laying well then suddenly they stopped laying completely.  We have not had an egg now for six weeks (and we had seven chickens of our own before getting the 24 and they're not laying either).   They were quite aggressive with each other so, thinking that it might just be a case of establishing the pecking order and perhaps there were too many for them to do that, two weeks ago we divided our 30ft x 20ft run, which already had two coops, into two runs and put half in each, thinking this might make them less aggressive.  It's worked a little bit but still no eggs.  There was a bad case of red mite, which I hope is now under control and I know this can cause them to become infertile.

They have been moulting badly and the floor of the run can resemble grandma's feather bed if it's not cleaned daily.  Some of the feathers are there because of their fighting.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might still be causing them to be infertile - 31 chickens and not one egg!!  Would a cockerel help?  I want to make sure the red mite is eradicated before getting one.   Have we just been unlucky and inherited a gang of hooligans, or is a cure that I don't know about!!?

[8doubles]

With hens egg production is a conveyer belt . There will be several tiny eggs at different stages of growth in the system when the trama of the move stops more egg being made.
This is why they often lay on the day of the move and a few days after then stop.
Once the hens have settled in sorted the pecking order and feathered up they will start production again.

Make sure you are rid of the mite, it can be a real problem getting the last few !

[Aunt Sally]

They won't lay eggs if they are molting.

[redreet]

I have bought a couple of fumers to try and smoke the last of the mites out - though there still may be some on the chickens themselves because a couple of them are impossible to catch! Thanks for the advice 8doubles.  It does seem to be taking an awful long time for the pecking order to be established, though!

Thanks for your note, too, Aunt Sally!.

Redreet

[Sassy]

Red mites do not live on the hens only feed off them. Between new chooks and ex battery ones at that plus red mite and moulting there is a lot going on. Any one of these issues could stop laying. Be patient and all will sort itself out.

[8doubles]

Red mites do not live on the hens only feed off them. Between new chooks and ex battery ones at that plus red mite and moulting there is a lot going on. Any one of these issues could stop laying. Be patient and all will sort itself out.

It is possible to find a few red mite on the hen during the day, done it myself !

If not how would they spread ?

[Sassy]

Red mites do not live on the hens only feed off them. Between new chooks and ex battery ones at that plus red mite and moulting there is a lot going on. Any one of these issues could stop laying. Be patient and all will sort itself out.

It is possible to find a few red mite on the hen during the day, done it myself !

If not how would they spread ?

I was only pointing out they do not live on the hen and drop off once they have finished feeding 

[8doubles]

Red mites do not live on the hens only feed off them. Between new chooks and ex battery ones at that plus red mite and moulting there is a lot going on. Any one of these issues could stop laying. Be patient and all will sort itself out.

It is possible to find a few red mite on the hen during the day, done it myself !

If not how would they spread ?

I was only pointing out they do not live on the hen and most drop off once they have finished feeding 

[redreet]

Thanks again, 8doubles, I will be patient though it's being tested to the limit!!  Never seen so many feathers.
But....  will persevere.  No point rescuing them if you're not prepared to take what's thrown at you for doing so!

Thanks also to Sassy.  This red mite business is a nuisance but will keep at it until, perhaps, the cycle gets broken.

Cheers everyone!

Redreet