Chickens don't lay many eggs

[ConnerM]

I have a quick question so i'll describe my situation: Ok, so i have a very small flock, consisting of two bantam hens and two bantam roosters (They get along ok for the most part) One rooster is a rhode island red bantam and the other is a white wyandotte bantam. One hen is a rhode island red bantam and the other is a bbr red bantam. I have two nesting boxes because they share. My two hens nest with my very controlling rhode island red rooster (he is dominant) but my bbr red would much rather nest with the white wyandotte and only lays eggs if she does so. When she nests with him, she can lay around 4 or 5 eggs a week but won't lay with the rhode island red rooster. My rhode island red hen used to lay often when i first got her (about 5 or six eggs a week) but she's now been laying about one egg a week. Are my hens unhappy? What can I do to fix this situation?

 

[sourland]

Most bantam hens are not prolific egg layers. Many will lay a clutch, set, raise a brood and then start the cycle all over again. I doubt that your birds are unhappy. They are just doing what they are genetically programmed to do.

 

[donrae]

How old are the hens?

I agree with sourland, a lot of bantam hens aren't production bred birds, so you're not going to get as many eggs as you might want.

You can try pulling the Red rooster out and see if things change. If so, you'll need to make some management decisions.

 

[ConnerM]

Thanks guys! All my chickens are at least a year old but the guy I bought them from didn't say exactly how old. Thanks guys you help a lot!