5 eggs from 6 hens

[cactusx]

My 6 hens, about a year old, have gone through several egg-laying patterns. I considered it a great victory when I was regularly getting 6 eggs a day, all in the nesting boxes. Now, though, the norm is 5 eggs per day. The girls are confined to the coop in the morning, and they free range in the afternoon. They are all perky and healthy. So is one specific hen failing to produce each day? Or do they rotate? Or, perhaps, is one laying her egg out in the yard in the afternoon? It's not a big deal...just wondering what y'all think.

 

[GitaBooks]

All your guesses could be correct!

Here are the ways to figure out: If one isn't laying, it should have a pale comb, its pelvic bones (I think they are called) will be closer together, and the vent will look dry.

It is normal to get only five eggs out of six hens, as hens generally only lay 5-6 days out of the week, not all seven.

If one is laying outside, watch in the morning to see where she goes. My hens dash for their favorite nest sites in the morning.

Best of luck!

 

[cactusx]

Thank you for that good info. I'll watch for the signs of a problem. But now that I understand what production can be expected, it reassures me that nothing is wrong. It's just that they produced 6 eggs a day for a good long while. I guess that was the anomaly. I don't generally let them out until noon or later, trying to be sure they lay inside the coop. So I tend to think your explanation is probably most likely. Thanks again.