How can i convince my hens to start laying again?

Question

I have 8 hens, no rooster and they were laying 50+ a week regularly ... what happened is that the dominant "leader" of the others somehow broke her leg and cant walk now ... she is fine and eating but just hops on one foot and stays close to the coop and doesnt run the yard with the others but now nobody is laying ... any ideas?

Answer 1

Hens usually start laying eggs when they are 4 to 6 months old. If they remain healthy, they can continue to lay eggs into their teen years. Egg laying is affected by daylight and temperature. Hens lay eggs mostly in the summer because the longer day length stim- ulates egg production. They will stop laying eggs in the autumn as the days get shorter.

If you want your hen to continue to lay eggs in the winter, then you need to put lights in your henhouse. Chickens will temporarily stop laying when they are molting, which typically occurs in late summer or fall, or if they are not getting adequate calcium in their diet. You can supplement calcium by offering your hen crushed oyster shells. Hens will also stop laying if they are old or sick.
Chickens never lay more than one egg per day. As a rule, chickens lay in the morning, but each day a little later. Sometimes the last egg of a series is produced in the early afternoon. When it gets too late, they take the next day off. My five commercial hybrids will sometimes lay for a series of 30 days or more.

take care good luck n god bless

Answer 2

My grandma had a couple of smooth white stones that were about the size of a hen's egg. When she saw a hen not laying eggs, she would put one of the stones in the nest to persuade that hen to get busy. Grandma would wait a couple of days and if that hen didn't start laying eggs, she became the Sunday dinner. In your situation, the rest of the hens might be upset because the dominant hen is injured. Maybe they will start laying when she recovers.

Answer 3

Git yo'se'f a rooster! And maybe some plastic eggs.

Time to take the "dominant leader" and make soup.
It could be that the pecking order has been seriously disrupted. Getting rid of the former dominant chicken may work.

Answer 4

Call the visiting Farm Therapist who specializes in Hen Therapy. You may need a mediator between as well, it sounds like a classic case of a feminine rights movement.
Seriously though, if someone removed the only male from a whorehouse, the whore's wouldn't have to work anymore.

Answer 5

I don't know what king of chickens you have . a few kinds lay year round, others don't lay too well in cold weather. You allow them to run around, which is good , that tends to help them lay more.Feeding them grass or a green veg. sometimes helps but if they are free to peck bugs, they should be laying, unless they don't lay year round.Do you ever give them laying pellets, maybe that would help. Also, you could get the chicken with the broken leg out of sight in its own cage, if you think this effects the others.

Answer 6

Leave the light on in your hen house longer each day, and consider getting a rooster(even a small bantam) for your hens. Its true what they say, a little crooning goes a long way.

Answer 7

I have heard that putting easter eggs or golf balls in the nests will make the hens set and then lay more eggs. Also, nesting boxes would help. They also sell Egg maker which you feed the hens everyday.

Answer 8

Hmmm.. I think you need a hen whisperer. Walk around in the coop with a block of wood and an axe..

Answer 9

A sick chicken affects the others take it out. Also mybe get laying pellets and a rooster may help.

Answer 10

Get A Rooster, even if temporarily