New part time free ranging - getting less eggs

[EggEgg]

Hi Folks! We have 14 2yro girls in a VERY large coop and run. Recently we have been able to let them free range for at least part of the day (Yay!) but we are seeing our egg production drop from about 12 - 13 a day, to 10, and now about 8. I know they can find hiding spots but we have not been able to find any and we have started leaving them in until the time they are usually done laying. We sell the eggs and lately we haven't had even enough for ourselves and what's the point of chickens if you cant have great eggs?! Anyone else have experience with this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have read that free ranging can decrease laying because they are burning calories hustling about. Not sure if it's true or not. Production can go up and down for many reasons, and generally many hens slow as temperatures rise. You will not get continuous production out of them. By age 3 production will drop even more. Generally you should get replacements yearly if egg production is important to you. I personally like chickens whether they lay or not.

 

[EggEgg]

Temps have been consistent and mellow here and last year the girls layed fairly consistently all summer even throughout our hot summer days. We only really noticed the change lately because it coincided about 26hours after we started getting them their free ranging time (so about an egg cycle). We love the girls of course, I just dont want to be promising eggs when I dont know if I will have them.

Oh also I should have said that the time frame has been super short.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Your hens are more than likely stealing their nests out of your sight. Trying to ferret out a nest is a fools fools errand, instead sit back and see where the hens go to lay or from where they return to the flock.

 

[igorsMistress]

My girls have always freeranged I had a drop in production. Found a nest in the shed that was "blocked off." They can get in to places you wouldn't think possible.
That being said, my year olds aren't laying quite as much as they did last year. I'm ok with it.

 

[aart]

Lock em back up for a week, see what happens.

 

[chickens really]

I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs and @aart
My Birds are also Two and egg production has dropped.
What breeds do you have?

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have seen a drop of around 1 or 2 eggs a week from each hen when I started to let them out to forage at 15 months of age, 2 hours before sunset daily, weather permitting, last July.
Foraging just isn't as nutritious as a complete balanced feed, that contains all the nutrients needed to support daily egg production, based on decades of research.
But hey the chickens enjoy foraging and we enjoy watching them being happy chickens. .
Like aart said, lock um up. I think it would take 2 weeks to know for sure, if it's based on nutrition as I suspect. GC