Most expensive eggs, ever!

[cameramaverick]

Please help me, my hens are pigs and barely lay. We were giving them a really nice quality GMO-free, soy free feed, but have had to downgrade to a cheaper organic kind (that has soy). (I don't want to eat eggs or meat that has pesticides in them and want to limit our soy exposure.) They already weren't great layers. They are speckled Sussex, all in their second year. I thought we'd get all these eggs in the spring, but we were only getting 1-2 a day (usually 1), from 3 hens. Then one got broody and it dropped to only 0-1 egg a day. We got her to hatch some eggs and for a few weeks we got zero eggs. Today we finally got two eggs, but I'm not exactly expecting to get two a day now, based on previous behavior. What this all comes down to is about $25-30 of feed a month for maybe 30 eggs?? That's like a dollar an egg, absolute insanity.

Is free-feeding them the problem? Could that cause them to lay less? It certainly causes them to eat our money. What can I do to get them to lay more? I'm about ready to start raising meat chickens instead and get our eggs at the farmers market.

 

[Hershy]

Hi, welcome!!
So, I have zero actual experience, my hens aren't laying yet, but I've read a lot that it's common for laying to slow down in the heat, and we've had some definite heat lately. Also, with one broody, she's out of rotation.

 

[michael1003]

You got the wrong breed for egg layers and 3 hens only going to net u around two on a good day.

 

[cameramaverick]

While that's a good point about the heat, it doesn't explain the lousy laying in the spring. They were laying better last fall, 2-3 a day--forgot to mention that. They were smaller eggs, though, that may be why. Anything I can do to encourage laying? Could it be the free-feeding? I think I've heard too much feed can reduce laying? Or maybe I imagined that... I know the one hen with her chicks isn't laying, but would be content with even just one egg a day now. Does anyone know when the mama hen will start laying again?

 

[michael1003]

I have 2 buff orphington roos two hens that are buff orphingtons 3 barred rocks one red sex link and 2 leghorns my leghorns juat started laying yesterday. Got two yesterday one today. With my 10 birds i go threw a 17.00 dallor bag of feed every month to month and a half. They also were free ranging till 3 days ago now the roos are out and hens inside while i nest box train. They have acess to the food any time they want. Make sure your coup is not geting to hot. How old are they?

 

[tmyers968]

I have 2 buff orphington roos two hens that are buff orphingtons 3 barred rocks one red sex link and 2 leghorns my leghorns juat started laying yesterday. Got two yesterday one today. With my 10 birds i go threw a 17.00 dallor bag of feed every month to month and a half. They also were free ranging till 3 days ago now the roos are out and hens inside while i nest box train. They have acess to the food any time they want. Make sure your coup is not geting to hot. How old are they?

How old are your hens? How do you nest box train? I have 8 pullets and they are almost 20 weeks old. They are let out in the morning and locked in their coop at night. I can tell they are really close to laying. Should I leave them in the coop until they start laying? Do you let them out after a certain time of day? Sorry to hijack the post, but I have been concerned about this.

 

[Bethel3330]

You got the wrong breed for egg layers and 3 hens only going to net u around two on a good day.

agreed. From what I've seen, what you're getting is about right. They also won't lay while they're molting.

 

[michael1003]

20 weeks. You put suramic egg in the nest boxes. I will leave them in there till around 5pm then let them rang till dark then back in they go

 

[michael1003]

Ok so your breed op. Will lay between 140 and 240. My leghorns range from 300 to 350 a year.

 

[cameramaverick]

So it's just a breed issue? We got them as young pullets last spring, they must be close to a year and a half old.