15 eggs from 35 hens, down from 25!! What is going on?

[dsvabulas]

They are getting the same feed and water, (organic and w/ apple cider vinegar,respectively) let out of the run 3 x's weekly at dusk for an hour of running. (Very funny) 15 polish crested and 20 golden comets, only a few are broody. Such good girls, but I'm down to 10dz eggs a week for the market, and usually have 16-18 dz. The weather here in Mass has been the same all month, hot and humid and they all seem healthy as can be. Shaking them isn't helping! JK Any suggestions? My regular customers are bummed.

 

[Red Maple Farms]

How old are your chickens?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

My guess is the heat is slowing them down. It does mine. I've got 3 Yokohama eggs in 2 weeks from 24 hens. They are every other day layers anyway, but they almost shut down in the summer.

 

[dsvabulas]

I saw in another post that heat was slowing down other folks hens. It was suggested that a mister in the run may help. I'm off to set one up now! My golden comets were 20 weeks, laying age when I got them in May and the polish crested I raised from chicks, they are over a year old. Age shouldn't be a factor, so it must be the heat.

 

[Mtn Cur]

Make sure they are getting plenty of water, considering an egg is 75-85 percent water depending on who you ask. This heat is a killer.