My chickens haven`t been laying for a while now. I thought maybe I had too many chickens in a small space. So last week we made our lot bigger for them. They seem to be enjoying it. Now I am wondering if there are some months during the year that they just don`t lay. I do have young pullets and my mil says that they should start laying in Feb.. Which I hope she is right. I also noticed that a lot of the hatcheries are out and won`t start back shipping till Feb.. That is making me wonder if chickens stop laying around this time of year. DD1`s boyfriend said they the would stop laying for now and would start back in a couple of months. His dad and him raise chickens and have for a long time. His dad seems very knowledgeable when it comes to chickens. He sent me over some homemade stuff to give the chickens incase they had worms. Kurt also said to put a little in the chicken house. Which I have not done yet. I have to figure out how to get electric ran out there.
Now I have been feeding them laying mash. I pay 8.65 for a 50 lb. bag. Sometimes I get scratch grain to. It is not cheap. The 8.65 is the cheapest I have found it in my area. A bag almost last me a week. Ok I can not see feeding them laying mash if they are not laying. I can buy eggs cheaper than I can buy food for them. I feel like right now I am throwing my money away. I do feed them kitchen scraps. I can not let them free range because of dogs. So my question is what can I do to get them to start back laying and if it is till Feb. before they start back again. What would be a cheaper way to feed them? For the ones who feed yours kitchen scraps, what do you feed them. I was told not to give them any meat. How many of you all feed them meat with your scraps? I was reading that one lady all she feed hers was bugs, weeds, milk and kitchen scraps in the summer. Winter they got milk, snow and scraps. Course hers are able to free range. I guess that is about it. I just need some ideas.
In the winter when there is less daylight the chickens will not lay as well. If you put a light on, then they should start laying again. You are right...the feed is high. However, your eggs are of the organic and free range quality so look at the price of those at the store next time. It will make you feel better.
You can feed chickens any vegetable scraps and they also are supposed to like milk and whey. Mine don't care for whey. I would just feed them the cheapest chicken feed until you get them laying again. Just remember to change feeds gradually. Gradually add more and more scraps and take the feed away gradually. Or to change feed start with no more than half the amount being a new feed. Animals don't do well with abrupt changes in diet. Good luck with those chickens....when they do lay you can sell your excess for $3-4 a dozen and possibly recover some of your feed expenses.
zoggypdx (i think that is the correct name) quit blogging here last feb, but last I saw, he still had all his posts up. he had a whole thing about what he was feeding his chickens, and what he had to grow on his land to feed them a balanced diet. do a search for it in his archives.
it was march 3 2007 - he had a great plan for raising his own chicken feed
Edited by morningsunshine on Friday, December 14, 2007 at 01:00
My chickens are going to be 3 this spring. The first year I had them they laid through the winter. The second year they molted in Fall and didn't lay at all during the winter, they are doing the same thing now. I don't get any eggs until Spring. My chickens are free to roam our two acres so space isn't an issue.
We are going to get new chicks this Spring.
My girls will be one in Feb. and I started them on laying mash at about 6 months old. The started laying at 7 months. Here in Louisiana it never really gets that cold, so they pretty much continue to lay all year. They do take a short break during the winter months and I only get an egg or two each day instead of the dozen that I usually get, (I have 13 hens and one roo). As for the table scraps, I give mine rice, cereal, grits, bread, beans, greens, stuff like that. I never give them meat, I have cats for that, but I don't think I would give them meat regardless. I am able to let my free range a bit, untill recently, when that started laying in the Chrismas nativity next door. The lady didn't like the fact that they sitting on her baby Jesus, I really didn't either, LOL. So they are pinned up for the holidays now. Well good luck with them...............Kitty
Our chickens stop laying in the fall, even though they laid a bit longer this year compared to last. Last year was the first time I was paying attention and I was really stressing out about what could be wrong with them. Feeding laying mash did not help but they started laying again on their own in January and gradually picked up production as more of them got over their molting and the days started to get longer (I guess).
This year I wasn't suprised when the eggs stopped, but we are looking forward to January! All we feed them is cracked corn, but they also free range a lot.
We are fairly new to chicken-keeping; we've only had them for going on 3 years. My husband installed a photo sensor on the outside of their coop so that their light comes on in the evening and goes out in the morning, as soon as it's dark/light enough. This has kept them laying all year round for as long as we've had them. They roam during the day and we keep lay pellets (usually 16% protein) in a feeder in their coop where they go at night. I feed them all table scraps, including meat and cooked eggs. I don't give them raw eggs or shells as I don't want them to develop a taste for them.
My favorite chicken reference book is Living With Chickens. The author's name is Jay Rossier. It has helped us with everything from brooding to butchering and we've never needed another book.
I am a stay-at-home, Christian homeschooling mom. My husband and I have been married for 19 years. We have been blessed with three kids,ages 18, 10 and 8. We live on a family farm and have several animals. I`m just a simple farm gal, who loves her God, family, friends and life.
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• Friday, December 14, 2007 - chickens
You can feed chickens any vegetable scraps and they also are supposed to like milk and whey. Mine don't care for whey. I would just feed them the cheapest chicken feed until you get them laying again. Just remember to change feeds gradually. Gradually add more and more scraps and take the feed away gradually. Or to change feed start with no more than half the amount being a new feed. Animals don't do well with abrupt changes in diet. Good luck with those chickens....when they do lay you can sell your excess for $3-4 a dozen and possibly recover some of your feed expenses.
Blessings,
Mrs. P