Temps going up, time for egg production to go....down?!

[gandalf_of_chickens]

We have 8 golden comets that we bought as "pullets" not yet laying back in late November/early December. At first they weren't laying at all, then they started to lay more and more until we were getting seven eggs/day fairly consistently. Then suddenly over the past 2-3 weeks we've started to get five eggs/day most often, with six eggs on some days. What's going on?? I thought egg production was supposed to go up, if anything, as the weather gets warmer? It was doing that but I guess I was expecting to start seeing 7 most days with 8 some days instead of 5 most days with 6 some days!

And yes I'm the same guy from this thread asking people to reassure me that I wasn't ruining my chickens lives by no longer free-ranging them. Now I feel like they're taking revenge on me! As for feed, I've been using Nutrena Hearty Hen Layer Pellet. We bring them kitchen scraps from time to time and I've been dumping grass clippings in the run every few days since the grass started growing again and I was able to cut. They love the grass and devour it.

In reality, as far as I can tell the hens seem happy enough in their run. I don't notice any of them acting sick/keeping to themselves/brooding/etc. Is this kind of fluctuation to be expected from month-to-month?

 

[hannahsocal]

We have 8 golden comets that we bought as "pullets" not yet laying back in late November/early December. At first they weren't laying at all, then they started to lay more and more until we were getting seven eggs/day fairly consistently. Then suddenly over the past 2-3 weeks we've started to get five eggs/day most often, with six eggs on some days. What's going on?? I thought egg production was supposed to go up, if anything, as the weather gets warmer? It was doing that but I guess I was expecting to start seeing 7 most days with 8 some days instead of 5 most days with 6 some days!

And yes I'm the same guy from this thread asking people to reassure me that I wasn't ruining my chickens lives by no longer free-ranging them. Now I feel like they're taking revenge on me! As for feed, I've been using Nutrena Hearty Hen Layer Pellet. We bring them kitchen scraps from time to time and I've been dumping grass clippings in the run every few days since the grass started growing again and I was able to cut. They do some to love the grass and devour it.

In reality, as far as I can tell the hens seem happy enough in their run. I don't notice any of them acting sick/keeping to themselves/brooding/etc. Is this kind of fluctuation to be expected from month-to-month?

Laying hens always take some days out of the week (even if it’s only 1 or 2 days) to “recoup” and restart their laying cycle again to early in the morning. Since you have 8 hens, it’s very likely they are just displaying completely normal behavior, with one girl or another taking their “egg breaks” at a time when you’re noticing it more. It is basically impossible to get 8 eggs from 8 hens every day forever. You WILL have hens take days off and this is completely normal! best wishes!

 

[aart]

Quit with the grass clippings so they eat more feed, worth a try.