We live in Sunny Sarasota, Florida and have 21 hens. Half Sex Links, and half RIR with one Rooster. They are almost 8 months old. The Sex Links started laying 9/8. The RIR only a few. We were taking in 4-6 a day. For the last 4 weeks we only get 1 maybe 2 at the most. We did have a domestic turkey (same age) with them. He started to get aggresive (especially during feeding) around the first of October, and we let him free roam (putting him up in a different cage at night). We also have another free roaming RIR standard. We let the hens out to free roam once or twice a week and put up at night. We are feeding cracked corn, and layer food twice a day. What can we be doing differently? This is all new to us this year. The children are raising them for 4-H and pleasure (and eggs!). We would appreciate some help.

-- Kelli Smith (starmanandfamily@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001

Answers

Hi Kelli,

One thing that will cause the hens to decrease their laying is the length of daylight in a day. It sounds like you are feeding them corrrectly and the only other thing I can think of is that on the days they are ranging, they may be laying somewhere else. Look around and note the areas where they go and hang out during their range time and see if you can't find some eggs. If you don't find any, then you may want to put a light bulb on a timer to increse their daylight hours to mimick summer daylight (14-16 hours). We live further north and so have to increse our daylight by about 4- 5 hours a day to keep our hens laying. Our chickens free range during the day so we are always out looking for their nests. Their favorite place next to the nest boxes ids the goat manger! Hope this helps! Darlene

-- Darlene in W WA (tomdarsavy@cs.com), November 26, 2001.

Don't know much about Florida sunshine but up north here they go through a moulting period and get their winter feathers...down in Florida ??...I'm not sure. They will begin laying more in the spring. Hubby says you should get another rooster or he will "burn " himself out trying to make the ladies happy in the spring. We have a rooster for about every 12 hens. Find yourself a good homesteading book and read up on Chicken Care. Practical Homesteading is still a great book as are many others. Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), November 26, 2001.

You mentioned everything but what you are feeding them. What are you feeding them?

They would get alot of their protein in bugs and stuff--however in the winter there are less bugs to get. So you may need to increase the protein they are eating. Some people add some dog food or hog feed to their normal diet. I tried this and it really jumpstarted their egg laying.

As others have said, the less daylight the less eggs you will get and also the more energy they have to spend keeping warm the less eggs you will get. Of course their are predator issues, but like I said, the increase in protein REALLY helped.

Good luck with your 4H ventures. It really is worth it.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.