15 hens… 2 eggs?

[chickens87216]

I have 15 hens and only get two eggs a day. There is no where for them to have a secret nest. What should I do to increase egg production. We usually get more eggs in the winter compared to now which is concerning. Also most of the hens are only 2 years old. There are some younger.

 

[WIchickMama]

What are you feeding them? 2 eggs is all you get ever? Are you sure they are all hens (just asking not trying to be offensive at all) Are you sure there aren't any hidden corners or buried nests?

Pica of your set up and the ladies may be helpful.

 

[chickens87216]

What are you feeding them? 2 eggs is all you get ever? Are you sure they are all hens (just asking not trying to be offensive at all) Are you sure there aren't any hidden corners or buried nests?

Pica of your set up and the ladies may be helpful.

I can get a pic later. I feed them local chicken pellets, sometimes we get 3 or 4 but that is it. They are all hens, and I will check again for buried nests. I have chicken elixir which might help but it didn’t before. I believe a few bird are molting right now.

 

[WIchickMama]

May I ask what breeds you have? Could be possible you don't have the best layers (eg Polish vs Barred Rock)

Molting will affect laying, as will lesser daylight, heat, broodiness and then also reproductive issues. May I ask where you live (state/country)?

Is it possible you have a predator eating the eggs? Snakes, rats, etc

 

[chickens87216]

May I ask what breeds you have? Could be possible you don't have the best layers (eg Polish vs Barred Rock)

Molting will affect laying, as will lesser daylight, heat, broodiness and then also reproductive issues. May I ask where you live (state/country)?

Is it possible you have a predator eating the eggs? Snakes, rats, etc

We have:
1 cinnamon queen
2 amberlinks
2 light brahmas
2 easter eggers
2 cuckoo marans
2 buff orpingtons
2 dark brahmas
1 sapphire splash
1 americana.

We live in upstate NY, our coop is very secure. There is no predators and if there is then we would take care of the issue

 

[WIchickMama]

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get all the information and hopefully some sort of answer (s)

Do you feed any treats? Have you checked vents at all, I know they are of laying age but just a thought? Is is possible that you have an egg eater?

Just to confirm, you have never got a more than 3-4 eggs on any given day, even in the spring/summer?

2 year old hens *may* be slowing down but not this extreme (I wouldn't think). Let's see if anyone else has some ideas @Eggcessive @3KillerBs @Wyorp Rock @aart

 

[chickens87216]

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get all the information and hopefully some sort of answer (s)

Do you feed any treats? Have you checked vents at all, I know they are of laying age but just a thought? Is is possible that you have an egg eater?

Just to confirm, you have never got a more than 3-4 eggs on any given day, even in the spring/summer?

2 year old hens *may* be slowing down but not this extreme (I wouldn't think). Let's see if anyone else has some ideas @Eggcessive @3KillerBs @Wyorp Rock @aart

Yes a couple days ago I gave them pumpkin guts. They get scratch grain almost every day. We used to get up to nine eggs every day. This year has been slow. 4 at the most this spring and summer. There might have been a rare occurence of 5 eggs. How could I look for a buried nest? We had an egg eater, but we got rid of her a few days ago and she didn’t eat eggs a lot. They had a pecking problem and they are just starting to grow feathers back along with the molt. Could pecking be the problem?

 

[dawg53]

@WIchickMama pretty much nailed it:
Less daylight hours, molt, and age all contribute to less egg production during fall and winter. Spring time is usually max egg production and normally carried into summer depending on the weather, hot temps can be a factor.
You also have to consider other issues, such as internal and external parasites, too many treats, other possible environmental issues.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I have ten hens, I'm getting 4 eggs a day, seven on a fluke day. I have one that hasnt laid a hard shelled egg since she was sick last spring.

I would stop the scratch and up their protein if they're molting for now. Then in spring I would only feed pellets. Try to figure out who is/isn't laying and post here to see.if.the community can help you figure out what's going on

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm about to clock into work, but here's a partial list of factors that can laying problems:

The #1 for this time of year in the northern hemisphere is decreasing hours of daylight and, for hens other than first-year pullets, the annual molt.

Also,

• Stress,
• Overcrowding,
• Nutritional deficiencies (layer feed is minimal protein so diluting that with treats can cause problems),
• Egg-eating (one problem bird can teach the rest).
• Snakes,
• Human theft,
• And more, but I have to clock in now.