My hens don't lay anymore.;.

[bernhund]

I have 3 hens that are about 2 years old. They had total free range of my garden and the woods and field behind my house. However, 5 months back I could stand the damage no more and built them a home! They have an area of around 15m2 to scratch about in, which includes a pile of logs for interest and grubs etc. They have plenty of corn mix and the correct pellet mix, plus fresh water everyday, with the added bonus of all sorts of scraps that get thrown in...The spoilt bds have stopped laying since!
Now I can't convince them that they have a good deal and I'm getting a bit fed up with the upkeep for no return (or the occasional egg). So what's up with them? AND if they don't start laying soon, what do I do that doesn't include an introduction to the oven?

[C3BER]

Get a cock. I know they are not required but it might just get them going again and if it fails...Sunday lunch.

Chickens do go off laying.

[Planet Claire]

We used to keep hens, but mainly ducks, when I was growing up. We used to put ceramic eggs in their nests to encourage them to lay.

[bernhund]

Interesting answers, thank you. I've got a fake rubber egg that I'll put in with them to see if it prompts proper chicken behaviour! If this fails, I'll see if there's a local with a cock I can borrow for a couple of weeks. (just sounds wrong that last sentence!)
Any other suggestions welcome too.

[McWigglebum4th]

Cut down on the corn and scraps and get them on layers pellets

Give them some oyster shell

[Gaspode]

McWigglebum4th said:

Cut down on the corn and scraps and get them on layers pellets

Give them some oyster shell

This. They might have got too fat. Layers pellets are fine on their own. Feeding scraps is actually illegal now, if they's come from the kitchen.

[bernhund]

Wow...illegal scraps! Maybe they are doing too well? I hadn't even considered that because when they were totally free to range they just pecked away all day long and the amount of st around the place was just ridiculous. There is very little st in the new run so I figured they were not getting too much?

[daved]

We have 7 hens and during the hot weather we were down to one egg a day when we should have been on 4 or 5. Friends with hens have also noticed a big drop in laying. 2 weeks after hot weather we're still only getting 2 eggs a day.

Maybe yours don't like the hot weather?

[bernhund]

Could be the weather I suppose, but I think they may have stopped before it got really hot. They've certainly been happy in cold weather and have layed even in the snow.

[Granville]

Feeding scraps is illegal? Is this true?

We've got 3 bantams last weekend and they free range in their own area at the top of the garden. One is laying an egg a day, the other two can't be bothered yet.

Now, the breeder never fed them layers pellets as she said they hated them, and true enough they wont touch them, even if I cut the mixed corn out. I'd obviously like them all to lay and put a little more condition on as one of them feels slightly lacking in breast plumpage (she's the one laying).

Are the pellets vital for getting them laying? The only way I've managed to trick them so far (as with their wormer pellets) is to hide them in a bit of bread rolled in a small ball

[Gaspode]

Granville said:

Feeding scraps is illegal? Is this true?

We've got 3 bantams last weekend and they free range in their own area at the top of the garden. One is laying an egg a day, the other two can't be bothered yet.

Now, the breeder never fed them layers pellets as she said they hated them, and true enough they wont touch them, even if I cut the mixed corn out. I'd obviously like them all to lay and put a little more condition on as one of them feels slightly lacking in breast plumpage (she's the one laying).

Are the pellets vital for getting them laying? The only way I've managed to trick them so far (as with their wormer pellets) is to hide them in a bit of bread rolled in a small ball

http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/disease-control/abp/collect-feed/ban-kitchen-scraps-pet/

If you've only had your bantams a short while they might still be settling down and getting used to their new surroundings. As for corn, it's too fatty and contains insufficient protein for chickens to be fed all the time. Give them layers pellets and don't give in to sulks, they'll start eating them when they are hungry. If you want to give your chickens a treat feed them mealworms.

[davidexige]

I'm guessing that if you've got them from a breeder that the birds are quite young, when we got ours I think they were about 6 months old before they started laying, you’ll also find they need time to settle into a new environment, I’m sure given time they will all start laying. Regarding the layers pellets, I’d start by cutting out all the treats, scraps etc. if they can’t find enough food in the garden they will soon start eating the pellets. Ours have a couple of acres to forage in and during the summer when there’s plenty of food around they hardly touch the pellets however they still lay almost every day.
Once they start eating the pellets you can reintroduce the odd treat, ours love mealworms and go mad for spaghetti.

Granville said:

Feeding scraps is illegal? Is this true?

We've got 3 bantams last weekend and they free range in their own area at the top of the garden. One is laying an egg a day, the other two can't be bothered yet.

Now, the breeder never fed them layers pellets as she said they hated them, and true enough they wont touch them, even if I cut the mixed corn out. I'd obviously like them all to lay and put a little more condition on as one of them feels slightly lacking in breast plumpage (she's the one laying).

Are the pellets vital for getting them laying? The only way I've managed to trick them so far (as with their wormer pellets) is to hide them in a bit of bread rolled in a small ball

[Granville]

They are still quite young, but settled really well. The one is extremely friendly, chats away if you talk to her and will let you pick her up. She's a bit like a dog really.

Been feeding to odd mealworms as a treat and to get them used to coming up to us, also for being good and going in their run ready for roosting time at night.

Only scraps they've had is a fresh Broccoli head and some cabbage hug up for some entertainment and to work for the food.

[Jonathan27]

Gaspode said:

McWigglebum4th said:

Cut down on the corn and scraps and get them on layers pellets

Give them some oyster shell

This. They might have got too fat. Layers pellets are fine on their own. Feeding scraps is actually illegal now, if they's come from the kitchen.

Scraps arn't illegal, its the meat in them that is. So long as you feed them vegi scraps you will be fine.

[bernhund]

Jonathan27 said:

Scraps arn't illegal, its the meat in them that is. So long as you feed them vegi scraps you will be fine.

Phew! Mine are getting regular waste veg but no meat.

It seems there are a number of reasons why they could stop laying, so I'm going have to try various things and probably over some considerable time.

[Gaspode]

Jonathan27 said:

Scraps arn't illegal, its the meat in them that is. So long as you feed them vegi scraps you will be fine.

Actually, the ban applies to veg too, if its been in a kitchen. The link I provided gives the detail. Basically, if its been in a kitchen, you can't feed it to your chickens. A bit OTT, but that's what the rules are.

Defra said:

. Vegetables are included, as vegetable peelings may be contaminated with raw meat products during preparation in the kitchen e.g. the sink.