Where oh Where has my Little EGGS GONE!!

[LeeLynns]

Hey Everyone,
Well, it has been awhile since I have posted anything on here. I guess it has been 3 yrs ago. WOW! Anyway, here is my concern!

I have 50 Black Sexed Link Hens. The are now 1 yr and 2 months old. Starting this past March is when they started laying. I was getting up to 3 dozen eggs a day!!! Well, They went thru a molt in August and all have feathered out. BUT, I am barely getting 1 dozen eggs a day. I was down to 5 or 7 a day for a awhile. Can ANYONE tell me why or what I need to do to Increase production! They are "Free Ranged" They come and go into the hen house as they please, and I give them "Layer" at night, and they have fresh access to 50 gallons of water that is circulated. So I just do not know what to do!

Any Ideas!

Thanks
Rick
www.Lee-Lynns.com

 

[LeeLynns]

I must have had a very SR. Moment. I did not see this link..

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/20763/pnw565.pdf

 

[CountryFlock]

When it gets colder and the number of sunlight hours go down, chickens start to lay less and less and many lay almost none at all.

 

[aart]

Could be the shortening days/lengthening nights:
Older layers need 14-16 hours of light to lay regularly thru winter. Last winter I used a 40 watt incandescent light(this year I am using a CFL) that comes on early in the morning to provide 14-15 hours of light and they go to roost with the natural sundown. Last year I started the lighting increase a bit late(mid October), the light should be increased slowly, and the pullets didn't start laying until late December. Here's pretty good article on supplemental lighting. Some folks think that using lighting shortens the years a hen will lay, I don't agree with that theory but I also plan to cull my older hens for soup at about 3 years old.


Could be they are laying out in their range area:
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it.

 

[LeeLynns]

Thank you, I am going to put a timer on a light and see how that works to increase the daylight hours.