Bill,
I have about 50 laying hens and was getting three dozen per day for awhile. The last few weeks, maybe 8-10 daily. They are molting…….some look pretty bazaar, too! I believe that when they are molting (shedding old feathers and growing new) their energy is going into feather growth and not egg laying. That may be putting it simply, but I do believe this is what is happening.
Are yours molting? It’s pretty easy to tell………their feathers are all over the place and in some places, looks like they’ve been ravaged. The new feathers look like pointy little quills for awhile until they open up.
I hope mine grow lots of fluffy feathers to keep them warm this winter. Last winter was a b*#ch and I have a feeling this one will be, also.
Laura
Laura Roberts
R Half Pint Farm
From: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 6:48 PM
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] my sick babies
first of all, thanks to all of you that answered me two weeks ago about my babies. they were all congested, wheezing, and had eyes swollen shut. i ended up giving them .5ml of tylan 50 and .5ml of B complex, and they have all recovered. again, thanks to all that responded.
HOWEVER, i have another issue now. prior to them getting sick, they were cutting back eggs to 2-3 aday. (i have 11 hens and they will all be a year old the last week of november). for two weeks now, we havent gotten any eggs at all. i understand them not laying while ill, but they have been well for at least a week now. but i am still not getting any eggs.
does anyone have any suggestions or words of encouragement or experience that they could pass along to me?? i am feeding them purina laying crumbles and oyster shells and whole kernal corn as scratch feed thrown into the yard. thanks in advance for the help
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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