Gai Kai

[grollies]

Any experienced gai kai farmers out there?

 

In October last year we bought 180 chickens from 2 different sources. Both raising chickens for battery farms.

 

They were supposedly 16 weeks old but took another 16 weeks to build egg production.

 

We lost around 8 hens at the start, cause unknown but maybe snake or centipede bite. Improved the shed, fully netted.

 

Best production rate was about 75% (140 per day) until last week. Production has dropped to around 100 eggs per day.

 

Hens are free-ranged in a hen run. They are fed commercial pellets. Fed twice a day 7am & 4pm. Eat around 20kg feed per day.

 

Plenty of water.

 

Nesting on baskets hung on wall and also on floor.

 

No vitamin supplement given.

 

No lighting.

 

Place clean, rice husk on floor.

 

No roosts, sleeping on floor.

 

We've kept them cooped up for the last couple of days and laying had gone up to 110 egs today.

 

Is it the time of year? Do I need to light the shed, improve nesting, put up roosts?

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

 

[Panda13]

If you take away all the eggs everyday some hens loose the incentive to lay. Leaving some fake plastic eggs in the nest can motivate the slackers to lay. Also kitchen scraps on the ground for scratching around in alleviates their boredom. They aren't real bright creatures but they still need some psychological stimulation to maintain a healthy perspective. A happy chook is a productive chook !

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[grollies]

22 minutes ago, Panda13 said:

If you take away all the eggs everyday some hens loose the incentive to lay. Leaving some fake plastic eggs in the nest can motivate the slackers to lay. Also kitchen scraps on the ground for scratching around in alleviates their boredom. They aren't real bright creatures but they still need some psychological stimulation to maintain a healthy perspective. A happy chook is a productive chook !

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Thanks Panda13, eggs are left all day until last feed.

 

Maybe part of the problem is they're too happy digging holes, dust baths, not concentrating enough on laying.

 

They occasionally get greens to play with. I'll try a bit more 'playtime' scraps but I'd rather they ate all their feed first so they get enough protein.

[Jotham79]

There are a lot of reasons you may be having trouble so here are some thoughts:

 

You purchased you pullets while the amount of light was decreasing which can delay egg laying.  If you screened with the blue plastic screen you further reduced the amount of light. You should either set them on a timer for 15 hours a day or get a light sensor and run the lights all night.

 

The hens should have food and fresh water in front of them 24/7.  20 kg for 140 hens is a little light.

 

Dust bathing is not a problem, but.....  If they stressed because of parasites that could reduce laying and general health.  You should have several (5 or 6?) dust baths available.  Use plastic bowls about 50-60 cm in diameter and fill halfway with sand, wood ash, and diatomaceous earth (DE).  You should also give a .light dusting you all of the rice hulls.

 

You should have screened boxes under your feeders to catch spilled feed and under your water sources to make sure none of the rice hulls are getting wet.  Make sure any other food or treats given are cleaned up.  Mold can wreck your flock.

 

Not collecting you eggs often will not increase production, but will increase their desire to go broody.  Not a common problem with the red sex linked crosses you probably have.

 

I would add roosts a few feet off the ground along one side of your coop.

 

I would keep them penned.  Energy expended just increases the need for feed.  If you were raising a breeding flock and not putting production as the main goal, and if you have a good range then I would let them wander.  I have done several tests and my birds eat less and lay more when I keep them in the coop.  If you wonder this is true, why do hens in cages produce so well.

 

I would rake the rice hulls every few days and replace about every month.  Collect all floor eggs immediately as you want to encourage them to use the nests.  If your litter is very deep, some eggs could sink. 

 

I would feed them a small amount of DE to help control internal parasites.

 

If you want you could give them Basil and occasionally put a probiotic in their water.  Cider vinegar is also said you help.

 

Like I said, there are a lot of reasons your birds aren't laying like bad stock or illness.  Could it be that only the hens from one of you sources are not laying?  Can you check the expirations date on your feed bags?

 

PM me if you have specific questions.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grollies]

43 minutes ago, Jotham79 said:

There are a lot of reasons you may be having trouble so here are some thoughts:

 

You purchased you pullets while the amount of light was decreasing which can delay egg laying.  If you screened with the blue plastic screen you further reduced the amount of light. You should either set them on a timer for 15 hours a day or get a light sensor and run the lights all night.

 

The hens should have food and fresh water in front of them 24/7.  20 kg for 140 hens is a little light.

 

Dust bathing is not a problem, but.....  If they stressed because of parasites that could reduce laying and general health.  You should have several (5 or 6?) dust baths available.  Use plastic bowls about 50-60 cm in diameter and fill halfway with sand, wood ash, and diatomaceous earth (DE).  You should also give a .light dusting you all of the rice hulls.

 

You should have screened boxes under your feeders to catch spilled feed and under your water sources to make sure none of the rice hulls are getting wet.  Make sure any other food or treats given are cleaned up.  Mold can wreck your flock.

 

Not collecting you eggs often will not increase production, but will increase their desire to go broody.  Not a common problem with the red sex linked crosses you probably have.

 

I would add roosts a few feet off the ground along one side of your coop.

 

I would keep them penned.  Energy expended just increases the need for feed.  If you were raising a breeding flock and not putting production as the main goal, and if you have a good range then I would let them wander.  I have done several tests and my birds eat less and lay more when I keep them in the coop.  If you wonder this is true, why do hens in cages produce so well.

 

I would rake the rice hulls every few days and replace about every month.  Collect all floor eggs immediately as you want to encourage them to use the nests.  If your litter is very deep, some eggs could sink. 

 

I would feed them a small amount of DE to help control internal parasites.

 

If you want you could give them Basil and occasionally put a probiotic in their water.  Cider vinegar is also said you help.

 

Like I said, there are a lot of reasons your birds aren't laying like bad stock or illness.  Could it be that only the hens from one of you sources are not laying?  Can you check the expirations date on your feed bags?

 

PM me if you have specific questions.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the advice, I'll take it and let you know how we get on. Many thanks indeed.

[grollies]

Update:

 

Ocular vaccination administered.

 

Feed increased.

 

Shed lit until 8pm.

 

Girls not let out until 4pm.

 

More regular cleaning regime started.

 

Result:

 

Egg production up to 95%

 

Less bullying

 

Happier hens.

 

Many, many thanks for all the advice above guys.

 

 

PS - still to implement some of the advice, roosts, etc

 

g

Edited February 8, 2017 by grollies