But no, oyster shells just make their egg shells hard. But, this remains a problem for poultry handlers. (We know of one ancient Buff Orpington cross who still lays an egg occasionally at 17 years old!) The chicken was about 3 months old when I purchased last year in July 2014. 1 year ... quiet chicken, personable and she already started laying at 4 months! Close. I have 10 hens and I get 10 eggs 99% of the time. A young chicken who does not eat enough will not gain weight like the others in the flock. Some of this is in your control as their keeper, and some of it isn’t. Update: Yes, I'm using layer pellets/crumbles and scratch mix, plus shell grit. However, those that are inside all the time need about 10 square feet each. Copyright 2010-2020 Murano Chicken Farm. They don't need the calcium in layer feed. Offer this calcium to your hens separately from their regular feed, so that they can consume it at their own pace. Start your birds strong by providing a complete starter-grower feed with at … (see above). Diarrhea, eating more, losing weight and a halt to laying can all be symptoms of worms. A move, new coop, or new flock mate may also cause hens to stop laying. Chickens Don't Need a Heater. When the chickens feathers get old and worn they can’t keep them warm as well as they used to. When she walked, she waddled very slowly. Increased Appetite. While most hens will start laying between 4 & 6 months old, it might just be a little too early for your hen to lay. My chickens were not producing nearly as well during the month of February. Roosters living with laying hens can eat layer feed once they reach 18 weeks old despite the higher calcium levels, as long as you're not mixing in any additional calcium into the feed. 3-5 YEAR HEN WEAK Found chicken lying on side, opened coop door and all 4 came out including this one. The young birds continue to fill out in size for the first 6 months. Up until two months ago they were laying … Yes, chickens have drama too! From age to illness, almost anything can go wrong and cause a hen to stop laying. Your hens may not be laying because they're stressed. Heavier birds may start laying later than 6 months while lighter weight breeds may start laying earlier. The pecking order is very real! This information is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. Hopefully you'll be back to more reasonable weather soon!~L. 2 laying hens. They don't need the calcium in layer feed. The calcium will help provide the proper nutrients to support healthy eggs. My 5 chickens are now 10 months old and still no eggs. I have Amber Stars and Amber Whites. I hope they start laying eggs soon. She should start laying again shortly after she gets better. 10 Chicken Supplies from the Dollar Store. There are a lot of reasons why your hens might not be laying. There are a number of possible reasons your chickens are not laying eggs. Hi Lisa, I don't have chickens but when I growing up we always had chickens and your reasons for chickens not laying eggs from what I know and remember are very accurate. - Duration: 5:09. Many vets will do this test, as they they do the test for cats and dogs anyway. ... Hi I’m totally confused whether I should feed my chickens layers or growers feed. Now my head chicken hasn’t laid an egg since. But no, oyster shells just make their egg shells hard. Many people don't associate them with rats because they are so cute, but squirrels are rodents and will eat eggs and even chicks. Brenda ... How can I help my less than one week old chick not to die and what drugs can I give to help dem. You have a full flock of hens but your egg basket is regularly empty. Laying can continue through the use of artificial lighting to extend the natural daylight hours and commercial farms will use artificial lighting in order to produce eggs during the winter as well as summer months.