# Should Chickens Get A Rest From Layer?



## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

it is so hot and HUMID now and I was thinking layer may not be a good idea for my chickens.I know they will lay eggs without it so should I take them off layer for awhile?


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## Cahri (Feb 18, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> it is so hot and HUMID now and I was thinking layer may not be a good idea for my chickens.I know they will lay eggs without it so should I take them off layer for awhile?


I feed mine all sorts of stuff from the garden, they have much to choose from and they lay because they have that choice. I only put small bowl of lay and they eat this if they want. They don 't eat much of it but they all lay an egg a day anyways...I live in Dallas area and it has been brutally hot and dry


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Cahri said:


> I feed mine all sorts of stuff from the garden, they have much to choose from and they lay because they have that choice. I only put small bowl of lay and they eat this if they want. They don 't eat much of it but they all lay an egg a day anyways...I live in Dallas area and it has been brutally hot and dry


 Thanks Cahri,ours free range during the day but get fed in the morning and at night before dark.
the 10 barred rocks just came off the grower finisher,so they have'nt laid yet.The others are still on plant based layer no meat but we give them meat now and then.:wave:


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## Ur5hittingMe (May 1, 2011)

Are you feeding your barred rocks grower finisher because you are going to eat them soon? Mine get starter until they are 8-10 weeks old and they go to layer 18% protein. They are free ranged, they go in at night on their own and I shut their coop up. Morning I open them back up. They eat from my garden and I have a mulch pile they love to dig up. I always keep their food available for them at all times but summer they dont eat much of it. Winter they still have the availability to go outside if they choose. I do not keep a light on them in the winter so they can take a rest.
Hope this helps.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Mother nature will will them a break when they molt. Most of mine (but not all) molt in the fall then pick back up after that.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Ur5hittingMe said:


> Are you feeding your barred rocks grower finisher because you are going to eat them soon? Mine get starter until they are 8-10 weeks old and they go to layer 18% protein. They are free ranged, they go in at night on their own and I shut their coop up. Morning I open them back up. They eat from my garden and I have a mulch pile they love to dig up. I always keep their food available for them at all times but summer they dont eat much of it. Winter they still have the availability to go outside if they choose. I do not keep a light on them in the winter so they can take a rest.
> Hope this helps.


 No no planning to ever eat them unless we have to.I think he fed them this because we bought such a big bag,not sure.
We did buy them because they are duel purpose but no longer have a roo,he crowed all the time,could'nt even snaek out on nthe porch at night without him crowing at top of his lungs.He was one beautiful BR roo though and very friendly,but never shut up.Thanks Y S Me.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

*Andi said:


> Mother nature will will them a break when they molt. Most of mine (but not all) molt in the fall then pick back up after that.


 Its so hot now ,today index is 111.:surrender:.I sure did'nt want to put more stress on them.:wave:. Thanks


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

*Andi said:


> Mother nature will will them a break when they molt. Most of mine (but not all) molt in the fall then pick back up after that.


:gaah: That should be Mother Nature will give them a break when they molt ... I hate to post and run ...

Sorry ... but I guess you got what I was wanting to say ...


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

*Andi said:


> :gaah: That should be Mother Nature will give them a break when they molt ... I hate to post and run ...
> 
> Sorry ... but I guess you got what I was wanting to say ...


I got it,thanks .:wave:


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

Cahri said:


> I feed mine all sorts of stuff from the garden, they have much to choose from and they lay because they have that choice. I only put small bowl of lay and they eat this if they want. They don 't eat much of it but they all lay an egg a day anyways...I live in Dallas area and it has been brutally hot and dry


I agree! it's so hot here ours are taking a break..they will stop when they need to..ours are free range and take care of themselves but we do toss out a can of scratch in the morning...which they do not all run right over to gobble down.. so our bugs must be quite wholesome 

One of our roosters was so "energetic" yesterday he fell over dead... who says sex can't be bad for you!! ..hope he was happy when he dropped! 

We are having issues with predators with young mouths to feed... they asa rule avoid the area but with the heat a chicken is easier to catch then a rabbit ...

Biggest problem we have is the damn chicks seem to want to try watering from the goats tank and fall in and drown... crap!! lost 5 or 6 chicks and two turkeys I think it is ... they walk right past the shallow water containers and fall into the deep one that that have to work at to get up on it...

AHHH life on the farm..lol


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

HozayBuck said:


> I agree! it's so hot here ours are taking a break..they will stop when they need to..ours are free range and take care of themselves but we do toss out a can of scratch in the morning...which they do not all run right over to gobble down.. so our bugs must be quite wholesome
> 
> One of our roosters was so "energetic" yesterday he fell over dead... who says sex can't be bad for you!! ..hope he was happy when he dropped!
> 
> ...


 LOL,poor roo,but he died happy I guess.Sorry about those other birds.:wave:


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

Ur5hittingMe, we do our hens the same. Just let nature take it's own course, they'll eat what they want, when they want it, and forage for the rest. We also lock them up at night for their own protection, lots of coyotes around here....We have a "feed hut", an "A" frame hut with the feeders hanging from chains with hooks, and a waterer in the midst, in the shade, and in the winter keeps the feed dry and give them a place to go out of the constant rain (Western Oregons liquid sunshine).


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> Ur5hittingMe, we do our hens the same. Just let nature take it's own course, they'll eat what they want, when they want it, and forage for the rest. We also lock them up at night for their own protection, lots of coyotes around here....We have a "feed hut", an "A" frame hut with the feeders hanging from chains with hooks, and a waterer in the midst, in the shade, and in the winter keeps the feed dry and give them a place to go out of the constant rain (Western Oregons liquid sunshine).


 Down here they have to deal with relentless heat and humidity.Most go around with their beaks open most of the day.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

> Down here they have to deal with relentless heat and humidity.Most go around with their beaks open most of the day.


That happens very little up here.....we are in a cool spell for our summers. I think they tend to go on 5-10 year stints, then heat again for about 20 from what I have heard from the old timers. It has been a bummer, not much is growing well, but the hens are loving the mild weather.

However, the flip side of that is our winters...rain for about 8 months out of the year. November thru March is the worst with heavy rains all day, the hens sit around under the henhouse (we build ours off the ground, with "legs", for moisture control), and when you come out, they come running up to you, all doing their complaintative clucking, long hard complaints, so much so their bodies sometimes quiver. I think they believe we can control the rain somehow!:nuts:...crazy chickens.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> That happens very little up here.....we are in a cool spell for our summers. I think they tend to go on 5-10 year stints, then heat again for about 20 from what I have heard from the old timers. It has been a bummer, not much is growing well, but the hens are loving the mild weather.
> 
> However, the flip side of that is our winters...rain for about 8 months out of the year. November thru March is the worst with heavy rains all day, the hens sit around under the henhouse (we build ours off the ground, with "legs", for moisture control), and when you come out, they come running up to you, all doing their complaintative clucking, long hard complaints, so much so their bodies sometimes quiver. I think they believe we can control the rain somehow!:nuts:...crazy chickens.


 LOL,yea sometimes they act like they know more than we give them credit for.
I guess we both have our own kinds of problems with the chickens.


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