Why are my 9-month-old hens not laying?!

[chicken mama 0908]

I just want to say TODAY I GOT 18 EGGS!!

 

[StinkyAcres]

I would also free feed dry feed along with the daily fermented feed. Check for mites too; they can really reduce egg production.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Free feeding is just SUPER expensive. I always thought fermented feed is healthier.

Do you free range? And do they have a lawn or pasture to forage and graze in? Fermented feed may be healthy, but by limiting their mealtimes to twice a day you may not be allowing them to eat whenever they need to.

 

[ChasingChooks]

You can keep a feeder of dry feed out 24/7, but still take out fermented feed once or twice a day. They will go through the dry feed slower. Hope they lay soon, and you can enjoy some awesome eggs!

 

[chicken mama 0908]

Today I am going to buy some higher protein feed for them. Hopefully that will help a little.

 

[NatJ]

Today I am going to buy some higher protein feed for them. Hopefully that will help a little.

That may help, but don't throw out the food you have. Feed the current food to them as well (so they are getting more total food, preferably as much as they want to eat.)

If they have not been getting enough, then they need more protein, more calories, more vitamins and minerals-- more of everything. So a higher percent protein may help a bit, but just feeding a larger amount of food should help too.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

My guess: they are probably not getting enough food.

A common estimate is 1/4 pound of dry feed, per bird, per day for standard sized laying hens, in addition to as much water as they want to drink.

That would mean 20 hens eat a 40 pound bag of feed every 8 days. Or they eat a 50 pound bag every 10 days. What size bag do you usually buy, and how long does it last?

When people measure and weigh dry feed, they usually find that 1/4 pound of dry feed is between 1/2 cup and 1 cup, depending on the brand. That would mean 20 chickens need between 10 cups and 20 cups of dry feed per day, not the 4 cups of dry feed you are using. Your chickens are probably starving (literally), and that is why they are not laying.

Water is not a substitute for food. Measuring the amount of food after you add water, then comparing to someone else's dry measurement, is going to cause trouble (whether you are using cups or pounds, the problem is the same either way: water makes the food bigger and heavier, but does not add any more nutrition.)

FEED THOSE LADIES!

 

[chicken mama 0908]

Yesterday I got my first egg!!! Today I got four more. Thank you all so much for your help.

 

[Australorpfamily]

It costs a little around a dollar a pound for me. I have more trouble with costs as organic feed is pricier.

I did fix my post, it was 500# from milk not 150 lol


Eta .. mill not milk autocorrect

 

[chicken mama 0908]

I got All Flock feed that is 20% protein. If by free feeding them this and fermenting them some as well, I have fixed the problem, when will I start getting eggs?