Egg laying or not??🤔🤔🤔

[lilme73]

Hello to all, first off just want you all to know I absolutely love this app. The other apps that they have that I thought would be the same??? Yeah, NO definitely not. The other apps about chickens are nothing at all like this app. Thank you all for making this app awesome.
Now to my question! I am raising just a few chickens. I have 4 laying chickens and 1 Rooster. On a normal day or 24 hrs period I will get 4 eggs from my chickens. However on a few occasions I have noticed that I will only get 1 possibly 2 . This only happens on occasion. It's not that they have broken one or eat the eggs. I don't believe on those days they had anymore than I retrieved. Can it be from them eating to much corn or other things and less laying pellets?? Thanks in advance for any responses I may have.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It is normal for them to take a day off every now and then. Sometimes (often) those days off are on the same day as another bird.

It's 1000% normal.

They will also slow or completely stop laying for a "winter break". Many will lay through their first winter but that second winter they need to molt and that takes a lot of energy away from laying. You he short darker winter days are a factor as well. They need more daylight hours than winter allows to trigger them to lay.

As to the treats.....
It is recommended to limit the treats to 10% or less of their daily intake. To many treats dilutes the protein content of their regular feed and can lead to reduced laying, feather picking and many health problems.

 

[aart]

It takes about 25 hours for an egg to form, a new ova is released shortly after an egg is laid.

A new egg could be laid approximately every 25-26 hours, so an hour or so later every day until one is laid late in the day and another ova might not be released until the following day, so a day off. BUT..every hen is different and only time will tell what a particular hen/pullets schedule might be. Not every hen/pullet lays every day..some only lay a few a week.

 

[lilme73]

It is normal for them to take a day off every now and then. Sometimes (often) those days off are on the same day as another bird.

It's 1000% normal.

They will also slow or completely stop laying for a "winter break". Many will lay through their first winter but that second winter they need to molt and that takes a lot of energy away from laying. You he short darker winter days are a factor as well. They need more daylight hours than winter allows to trigger them to lay.

As to the treats.....
It is recommended to limit the treats to 10% or less of their daily intake. To many treats dilutes the protein content of their regular feed and can lead to reduced laying, feather picking and many health problems.

Omg! Thank you so much you have no idea how helpful you have been.

 

[lilme73]

It is normal for them to take a day off every now and then. Sometimes (often) those days off are on the same day as another bird.

It's 1000% normal.

They will also slow or completely stop laying for a "winter break". Many will lay through their first winter but that second winter they need to molt and that takes a lot of energy away from laying. You he short darker winter days are a factor as well. They need more daylight hours than winter allows to trigger them to lay.

As to the treats.....
It is recommended to limit the treats to 10% or less of their daily intake. To many treats dilutes the protein content of their regular feed and can lead to reduced laying, feather picking and many health problems.

I have another question if you don't mind me asking.
I'm building a bigger chicken pen. I am making laying boxes for each Hen and we are also making the run bigger for them. My chickens stay in a pen. They aren't free range chickens. OK so I have hay that I've gotten and I have shavings. Which would you recommend for the run and which for their nesting boxes. So far all I have ever used is shavings. I have never had a problem but I acquired thus square bail and wanted to use it. Any suggestions??

 

[21hens-incharge]

You only need 1 nest box for every four hens so if you have 24 hens you need six nest boxes.
I prefer shavings for the nests.

I think they would like pulling apart a bale of hay. I would put that in the run.

 

[BastyPutt]

I have another question if you don't mind me asking.
I'm building a bigger chicken pen. I am making laying boxes for each Hen and we are also making the run bigger for them. My chickens stay in a pen. They aren't free range chickens. OK so I have hay that I've gotten and I have shavings. Which would you recommend for the run and which for their nesting boxes. So far all I have ever used is shavings. I have never had a problem but I acquired thus square bail and wanted to use it. Any suggestions??

Another tip would be to post this in the building coops forum. Lost of good advice over there from folks who may not venture this way.

 

[SourRoses]

This is a forum, just so you know. Apps are just the window for access on a phone or tablet. On a computer you can visit www.backyardchickens.com in your web browser.

 

[lilme73]

You only need 1 nest box for every four hens so if you have 24 hens you need six nest boxes.
I prefer shavings for the nests.

I think they would like pulling apart a bale of hay. I would put that in the run.

Thank you so much for all your advice. That is exactly what I did was put the hay in the run and the shavings in the nesting boxes. I didn't know that they share nesting boxes either. So that's great to know. I thought they were sharing cause they had too. OK well it sounds like I'm all good to go then. Thank you all again for all your help.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you so much for all your advice. That is exactly what I did was put the hay in the run and the shavings in the nesting boxes. I didn't know that they share nesting boxes either. So that's great to know. I thought they were sharing cause they had too. OK well it sounds like I'm all good to go then. Thank you all again for all your help.

You are very welcome.

I laugh at my girls every day. There are 4 nests currently and 12 birds old enough to lay (actually all 12 are over 5-6 years old). I find eggs in only 2 nests, nine eggs total in just the 2 nests.

Before long my 11 pullets will be laying. I plan to add a few nest boxes mostly because the Brahmas are going to be big gals and I want them to have more room. I do hope it will reduce the fussing over ONE favorite box and allow the pullets to not get bullied out of a nest.