Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My hen hasn't laid any egg for a few days now. She is so lethargic that she often spends most of the day squatting either in the laying box or in a shady spot in the garden. It seems she suffers from diarrhea; her stomach is soiled. I've already bathed her with warm water.
By malylo8 from London
Hello, Please call your local avian Veterinarian. This little girl does not feel well and needs some medical attention.
Do check with your veterinarian but it is not because you can buy eggs all year round in the supermarkets that hens are not birds and birds don't lay eggs at fall.
Hens do stop laying eggs as the amount of sunlight per day decreases that is why in the industry they are kept all year round under artificial light and that is why the egg is the symbol of the Easter feast, Easter is the time when hens will begin to lay eggs again, this is if they are let to live a natural life.
You should also check that your hen has enough dry food (wheat ...) and that it is not eating too much wet vegetables. Check also that she has enough sand or tiny little gravel to eat as hens need them to digest. Your hen also needs a not too cold but most of all completely dry place to live. You could also give your hen a cuttlefish bone which provides extra calcium.
I got my chickens in May. Why are they not laying?
It may be their diet or that they are not getting enough daylight.
When they made chickens legal in my little town, this was my go to website to learn about them and see if I wanted to get chickens. I decided against it (the dog would not have approved).
I found the site quite helpful! My friend who has a hen house also likes this site:
www.mypetchicken.com/
Hope things turn around for the gals!
There are several factors as to why your hens not laying. Some breeds don't mature until 6 months. Sunlight is a factor and temperature must also be taken into account. Their diet is very important, while commercial feed is convenient, nothing beats some fresh greens. Corn, commonly found in commercial feeds is a fattener but it does nothing to promote healthy egg production. Stress and coop accommodations are also common issues for the non-laying chicken.
