hens slowing production

[ArkRescue]

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[ArkRescue]

Why did the Chicken cross the road?

Hypothetical answers from various famous people.
(author unknown)

Ralph Nader
"Chickens are misled into believing there is a road by the evil tire makers. chickens aren't ignorant, but our society pays tire makers to create the need for these roads and then lures chickens into believing there is an advantage to crossing them. Down with the roads, up with chickens."

Pat Buchanan
"To steal a job from a decent, hardworking American."

Dr. Seuss
"Did the chicken cross the road?
Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes! the chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed, I've not been told!"

Bill Gates
"I have just released eChicken 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook -- and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChicken."

Ernest Hemingway
"To die. In the rain."

Aristotle
"It is the nature of chickens to cross the road."

Karl Marx
"It was a historical inevitability."

Grandpa
"In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us."

Saddam Hussein
"This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it."

Ronald Regan
"What chicken?"

Captain James T. Kirk
"To boldly go where no chicken has gone before."

Fox Mulder
"You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross before you believe it?"

Sigmund Freud
"The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity."

Senator Lieberman
"I believe that every chicken has the right to worship his or her God in his or her own way. Crossing the road is a spiritual journey and no chicken should be denied the right to cross the road in his or her own way."

Jerry Falwell
"Because the chicken was gay! Isn't it obvious? Can't you people see the plain truth in front of your face?
The chicken was going to the 'other side.' That's what 'they' call it -- the 'other side.'
Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And, if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too.
I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.'
That chicken should not be free to cross the road. It's plain and simple as that."

Einstein
"Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken?"

Bill Clinton
"I did not cross the road with THAT chicken.
What do you mean by 'chicken?'
Could you define "chicken" please."

Louis Farrakhan
"The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken crossed the 'black man' in order to trample him and keep him down."

The Bible
And God came down from the heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chickens crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

 

[GWguy]

For eggsample...

You crack me up.

hahaha... that's all yolks!

Egg-actly!

 

[idiganthro]

Hmmm...production is actually up now for my girls. They had really slowed down during the heat, and then a couple molted, one went broody, etc. I've only got 7, and 2 are pullets, but they all "free-range" the back yard all day, so maybe the earlier dusk doesn't matter as much? Yesterday all 7 laid, and 6 today.
I don't use lights during the winter- I'd rather have happier chickens that lay less frequently for more years. Of course, my girls are spoiled pets and not production birds.

 

[ArkRescue]

I've never used lights either - some of mine are still molting also, so I'm sure that's part of the reduction. Had 3 eggs yesterday. It's possible that some of my older gals are just not laying as much.

Hmmm...production is actually up now for my girls. They had really slowed down during the heat, and then a couple molted, one went broody, etc. I've only got 7, and 2 are pullets, but they all "free-range" the back yard all day, so maybe the earlier dusk doesn't matter as much? Yesterday all 7 laid, and 6 today.
I don't use lights during the winter- I'd rather have happier chickens that lay less frequently for more years. Of course, my girls are spoiled pets and not production birds.

 

[Cowgirl]

Using lights won't harm the hens. I usually don't do it because I don't want to bother with running a light out there and using electricity.

 

[ArkRescue]

I'd be afraid of starting a fire accidentally - I am using sawdust as bedding in the coop ...... trying to decide how to keep water de-iced for the Winter. Someone told me they used a light bulb that hung near the waterer, but that sounds dangerous to me.

I've used metal waterers for Winter with a pipe heater line wrapped around it that went up to an electrical cord overhead that I would secure to the ceiling/wall. I've also used a heated dog bowl elevated on a concrete block and filled it with water then sat the plastic waterer on top. Just using a heated buck of water presents problems with dirty water, chickens roost on edge and/or fall in.

Last year I bought a heated waterer but after seeing how difficult it was to fill/refill I sent it back for a refund.

Using lights won't harm the hens. I usually don't do it because I don't want to bother with running a light out there and using electricity.

 

[Cowgirl]

I'd be afraid of starting a fire accidentally - I am using sawdust as bedding in the coop ...... trying to decide how to keep water de-iced for the Winter. Someone told me they used a light bulb that hung near the waterer, but that sounds dangerous to me.

I've used metal waterers for Winter with a pipe heater line wrapped around it that went up to an electrical cord overhead that I would secure to the ceiling/wall. I've also used a heated dog bowl elevated on a concrete block and filled it with water then sat the plastic waterer on top. Just using a heated buck of water presents problems with dirty water, chickens roost on edge and/or fall in.

Last year I bought a heated waterer but after seeing how difficult it was to fill/refill I sent it back for a refund.

Get one of those large black rubber bowls and just dumpt it over and stomp on it to break the ice. Just change it twice a day. :shrug:

And as far as the light bulb, just hang one from a wire or install a keyless socket so it's a permanent fixture in the coop, that way it can't fall.

And you really only need a low wattage bulb for a few hours a day. It's pretty safe as long as you do it correctly.

 

[ArkRescue]

I had my water set up so that it stayed liquid ALL the time - I want them to have water all the time. That's why I used the de-icing type of pipe heaters on the metal waterers - they didn't use much electricity since they only came on when the temp went below 35 degrees.

I tried a shallow rubber feed tub and they got the water dirty so fast. They try to perch on the edge and poop in it or flip it over. I do my best to keep the coop as clean as possible by changing the bedding frequently, although I will allow the bedding to stay in all Winter (deep litter method) since it keeps the coop warmer as insulation.

I provide food that is available 24/7 also. I keep it up off the ground so the rodents can't wallow in it, but chickens are messy, and food ends up on the ground in the bedding anyway of course.

Get one of those large black rubber bowls and just dumpt it over and stomp on it to break the ice. Just change it twice a day. :shrug:

And as far as the light bulb, just hang one from a wire or install a keyless socket so it's a permanent fixture in the coop, that way it can't fall.

And you really only need a low wattage bulb for a few hours a day. It's pretty safe as long as you do it correctly.

 

[GWguy]

I'd be afraid of starting a fire accidentally - I am using sawdust as bedding in the coop ...... trying to decide how to keep water de-iced for the Winter. Someone told me they used a light bulb that hung near the waterer, but that sounds dangerous to me.

I've used metal waterers for Winter with a pipe heater line wrapped around it that went up to an electrical cord overhead that I would secure to the ceiling/wall. I've also used a heated dog bowl elevated on a concrete block and filled it with water then sat the plastic waterer on top. Just using a heated buck of water presents problems with dirty water, chickens roost on edge and/or fall in.

Last year I bought a heated waterer but after seeing how difficult it was to fill/refill I sent it back for a refund.

Look into bird bath warmers. Safe. Used to use those all the time. Shoot, I may even have one in the basement somewhere.

 

[Cowgirl]

I had my water set up so that it stayed liquid ALL the time - I want them to have water all the time. That's why I used the de-icing type of pipe heaters on the metal waterers - they didn't use much electricity since they only came on when the temp went below 35 degrees.

I tried a shallow rubber feed tub and they got the water dirty so fast. They try to perch on the edge and poop in it or flip it over. I do my best to keep the coop as clean as possible by changing the bedding frequently, although I will allow the bedding to stay in all Winter (deep litter method) since it keeps the coop warmer as insulation.

I provide food that is available 24/7 also. I keep it up off the ground so the rodents can't wallow in it, but chickens are messy, and food ends up on the ground in the bedding anyway of course.

I don't have feed out 24/7. THey'd eat me out of house and home. I also hang the feeder so it doesn't get litter in it, and I elevate the waterer on a wooden frame I made which keeps them from kicking litter into it.

The only time their water freezes when I change it twice a day is at night. And who cares if it's frozen at night because they're roosting anyway. :shrug:

 

[GWguy]

The only time their water freezes when I change it twice a day is at night. And who cares if it's frozen at night because they're roosting anyway. :shrug:

What if they wake up in the middle of the night to pee and want a drink? They can't yell to their mom, "MOM!!!! I NEED A DRINK OF WATER!!!"

You're so mean.

 

[Cowgirl]

What if they wake up in the middle of the night to pee and want a drink? They can't yell to their mom, "MOM!!!! I NEED A DRINK OF WATER!!!"

You're so mean.

They're SOL then. Besides, they never move after they've roosted.

 

[ArkRescue]

Oh I looked that up - those sit in the water to keep it de-iced. I use similar units (bigger and more powerful) for the horses. That would work if I was using a bowl/bucket, but I use covered waterers so the water stays clean and it is in a gravity-type dispenser. I have a lot of chickens so I provide 3 waterers (7 gal, 2 gal, and a 5 gal), although I will drop to 2 waterers for the Winter since they drink less in Winter.

Look into bird bath warmers. Safe. Used to use those all the time. Shoot, I may even have one in the basement somewhere.

 

[jedi2814]

I'd be afraid of starting a fire accidentally - I am using sawdust as bedding in the coop ...... trying to decide how to keep water de-iced for the Winter. Someone told me they used a light bulb that hung near the waterer, but that sounds dangerous to me.

I've used metal waterers for Winter with a pipe heater line wrapped around it that went up to an electrical cord overhead that I would secure to the ceiling/wall. I've also used a heated dog bowl elevated on a concrete block and filled it with water then sat the plastic waterer on top. Just using a heated buck of water presents problems with dirty water, chickens roost on edge and/or fall in.

Last year I bought a heated waterer but after seeing how difficult it was to fill/refill I sent it back for a refund.

Sawdust is a bad idea - shavings are better, they tend to eat sawdust which has no nutritional value for them.

14 hrs. a day of light will keep production up - doesn't hurt them. I'd wonder why you were only getting 12 a day from 20 on a good day? We have about 50 right now and are getting 35 or so a day but I also have at least 8 that are at the end of a molt and I haven't put the lights up yet. On a good day we have an egg a day except for the molters.

We don't heat the waterers - they rarely freeze solid except for the dead of winter and breaking up the ice twice a day is no big deal.

 

[ArkRescue]

Prior to this most recent cleaning, I had been using shavings and I knew when it was time to clean again when it all looked like saw dust (they can do that in 2/3 months). So this is the first time I've used sawdust. I wonder if adding shavings on top of the sawdust would help? I certainly don't want them eating sawdust.

The electrical cords to the deicers plug in to a thermostat plug that only turns on power at 35 degrees (thermo cubes I think they are called) .... that way I don't have to break up ice.

Sawdust is a bad idea - shavings are better, they tend to eat sawdust which has no nutritional value for them.

14 hrs. a day of light will keep production up - doesn't hurt them. I'd wonder why you were only getting 12 a day from 20 on a good day? We have about 50 right now and are getting 35 or so a day but I also have at least 8 that are at the end of a molt and I haven't put the lights up yet. On a good day we have an egg a day except for the molters.

We don't heat the waterers - they rarely freeze solid except for the dead of winter and breaking up the ice twice a day is no big deal.

 

[onelove6366]

My neighbor whom I get my eggs from said they stop laying at about 2 years or so. Then I guess he chops off their heads and has them for Sunday dinner! He just recently bought new hens for the brown eggs that I like best! Such a nice neighbor!

My layers egg production is dropping and my 20 hens are now down to only 4 eggs a day. Anyone else seeing a drop in egg production? Most of my layers stop laying during the Winter.

I'm assuming a snake hasn't been back eating eggs but I am not SURE. I have been covering all the snake access points I can find, but I'm sure that small snakes can still get in. I would think that most snakes have been looking for their Winter hibernation dens this time of year?

 

[ArkRescue]

Well nice to YOU but those poor hens - they stop putting out and whack they'd dead. They don't usually STOP laying all of a sudden. Their output usually slows down over time, but most people don't want to feed a chicken that has slowed in production, like they tend to do after 2 years.

Over time, I can see where having older chickens that rarely lay, can be an issue for people who don't view them as pets.

My neighbor whom I get my eggs from said they stop laying at about 2 years or so. Then I guess he chops off their heads and has them for Sunday dinner! He just recently bought new hens for the brown eggs that I like best! Such a nice neighbor!

 

[onelove6366]

Well no - he doesn't view them as pets. They are farm animals that produce income for him. Humans need to eat - that is a fact of life and I don't see anything wrong with what he does - I understand. He dis say they slow down I just didn't relay the information correctly in my post. I don't view them as pets either and even if I had chickens myself, they would be to provide for my family. I don't know about you but I grew up in a farm environment so maybe see things a little differently then others may. No offense intended though!

Well nice to YOU but those poor hens - they stop putting out and whack they'd dead. They don't usually STOP laying all of a sudden. Their output usually slows down over time, but most people don't want to feed a chicken that has slowed in production, like they tend to do after 2 years.

Over time, I can see where having older chickens that rarely lay, can be an issue for people who don't view them as pets.

 

[ArkRescue]

Those of us that grew up in a non-farm environment don't understand raising animals to eat. The animals we ate didn't have names and we never fed them.

I recall a guy telling me about raising beef. One day at dinner he said "Brownie sure does taste good" and the kids cried and ran outside to see if Brownie was gone. Brownie was indeed gone. He said then he realized it was best to not name the ones intended for dinner lol.

Well no - he doesn't view them as pets. They are farm animals that produce income for him. Humans need to eat - that is a fact of life and I don't see anything wrong with what he does - I understand. He dis say they slow down I just didn't relay the information correctly in my post. I don't view them as pets either and even if I had chickens myself, they would be to provide for my family. I don't know about you but I grew up in a farm environment so maybe see things a little differently then others may. No offense intended though!