poorly or not?

[milly2306]

hi everyone
hope someone can help me. i have two chickens, both 2 years old and at the moment am lucky if i get 3 eggs per week and i think they are from just one chicken. one of them has a bald patch just below her vent, eating and drinking normally but not laying. this time last year i was getting 10 - 12 eggs per week. i feed them layer pellets, grit, veg, pasta etc and their run is 15 foot by 5 foot. in every other way they seem fine and happy but i am still a little worried. they both moulted last year. any ideas? thanks
xxxmillyxxx

[Hans Mum]

what kind of girls are they? if they are ex-batts they may be older than you think and have just exhausted their selves. I'm sure someone with much more experience than me will be along soon

[milly2306]

hi
no, they are not ex batts, i bought them at pol from a reputable breeder and had them for approx 4 weeks before they started laying. i really am worried about them, i couldn't bear it if something happened to them!!

[MaureenHall]

Don't worry too much, they might just be having a break. Keep doing what you're doing, and perhaps add a little poultry spice to their food.

Just a thought, have they been wormed or de-loused recently? The bald patch might indicate lice, and if they've got worms that'll make them feel a bit "down" and might cause them to stop laying

[Suechooks]

I had some POL girls a few years ago and they hardly laid during their second summer. I had 6 and was lucky some weeks if I got a dozen eggs a week.
Try just giving them layers pellets without treats to give them a perfectly balanced diet. (Easier said than done I know!!!!)