Chickens Stopped Laying

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Colin
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Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Colin »

)hlp>
hi hope someome can help. I got my 2 chicken when they were about one. they are ex battery. they some layed nearly every day for about 15 months. 3 months ago they slowed down, now they lay very rearly. Is this sign they are not well or are they just too old ,they are still only 2 and a half years old ?. But for not laying they seem very well and happy to me.

confused>

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redd_angel55
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by redd_angel55 »

Hi Colin, I've got no personal experience with ex batts, but from what I know, their bodies have been exploited for their entire battery life. They had artificial lighting to encourage laying all year round and the confinement of the cages probably did the rest.
Eggs are a bonus when you have ex batts. If you want a regular supply of eggs, get a couple of Point-of-Lay hybrids )t'
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p.penn
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by p.penn »

Hello Colin.

I shouldn't think they are ill at all if they look OK. When you get ex batts it is always a lottery as to whether they will ever lay again as they have been 'egged out' so to speak!

15 months of laying sounds a good run to me. I got 2 ex free rangers last year and they are only laying occasionally this year, actually rarely really.

One small thought - have you checked for red mite as they can go off lay for a while if you have that in your coop?
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urban-chickens
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by urban-chickens »

I would say its just down to the age poor things
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Tia maria »

Out of my 4 ex batts I got a year ago I only have 1 still laying. She lay's a whopping big egg every other day (on average)

I died within a week of getting her, 1 died a few months ago after all her egg laying went haywire and she developed an infection and the other one stopped laying altogether after weeks and weeks of laying 'jelly' eggs (she's gone walk about and happily joined a flock of neighbours hens!!!)
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Popalops
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Popalops »

Over feeding the tit bits can reduce egg laying, I have 2 that are now 4 years old and still lay fairly regularly, they are not ex bats but are little brown hens rescued from a terrible place. There used to be 4 of them. 1 died with a cold the other had an egg burst inside her, poor thing.

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Lilo-Lil
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Lilo-Lil »

I got 3 ex-batts in Feb. One lays almost every day, one about 5 times a week, and little Ruby has only laid 3 eggs since I got her.

They are almost fully feathered now. Camilla, the one with all her feathers is the one laying the most. Mavis has a few still sprouting on her neck which was bald at first. Ruby still has a bald chest and bottom, although her feathers are finally just showing on her behind and her bald chest area is much smaller. I put it all down to them needing to produce feathers instead of eggs at the mo.

If they never lay another egg again, I`m not worried. They are happy healthy girls and its all that matters to me.
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dannyboy
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by dannyboy »

It could be that you are feeding them too well and they have become fat. This can cause hens to stop laying. If they are not recovering then maybe try reducing the feed slightly. Good luck
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by urban-chickens »

how is the laying going?
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wendy
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by wendy »

Hiya Colin.
Don't know how I have missed this post.
Getting an ex battery hen, Is never a guarantee of eggs, I am afraid.
The farmer gets rid of them because they are 'spent' hens and that says it all. They are forced, though manipulating the lighting, to lay 3 eggs in 2 days. Like us ladies they are only born with so many eggs in the system. Consequently they will finish laying a lot sooner than other hens. So we have to take them on to get them away from that terrible life they have had and to have them as pets. The eggs I am sorry to say, for some is a bonus.
Many of my girls have never laid and egg, the one I lost last night never did.
They are just worn out in the production department.
If they are well and happy then that is good, you never know you may get the occassional one.
But I have to say you will never, ever get a battery hen fat ! they will be skinny from the day you get them to the day they die.
Good luck with them and thank you for giving them a wonderful retirement.
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dannyboy
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by dannyboy »

Hi, the ex battery hens i have looked after have gained weight by around another half there size to double the weight from around a year of semi free range. They were very skinny little things when i got them but they ended up quite plump which is probably why they stoped laying. I am just talking from experience and i fed them on the regular layers feed with corn and scraps which included pasta, rice, mashed potato etc.
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wendy
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by wendy »

They looked plump but I am sure a lot is to do with the feathers. I have not heard of an ex battery girls stopping laying because she is too fat . I am sorry to say.
But it is good that they doubled in size and had a wonderful retirement with you.
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Teasal »

All my hens, ex batts and others, have reduced their laying capacity somewhat in the last couple of weeks. I have seen some feathers around, so it looks like they are ready to moult, so no eggs for a good few weeks.

I think this could be the reason your hens are not laying, so you will have to wait a few weeks for them to start up again. Quite often its Autumn going on winter time.
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by Colin »

thanks for the advice everyone, I am very glad they are healthy and am happy to look after them regardless if they never lay again.

)t'
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wendy
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Re: Chickens Stopped Laying

Post by wendy »

)t' )t'
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