6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and now 1 egg per day, from 8 birds

[lhousesoccer]

My chickens seem to be happy and healthy. They are 1 1/2 years old now. I have 8 - a mix of breeds. Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Bramahs, R.I. Reds .... I write on my calendar how many eggs I collect each day. All summer long, it's been 6-7, and sometimes even 8 eggs per day. Then almost exactly 2 weeks ago, I got 5, then 4, then 5. It waivered a little for a few days. Last week it went down to 3 or 4. The last two days it was 2. Today I got 1 egg.

I know egg production decreases with photoperiod. I've been through one winter already with this flock. About a week ago I plugged in the timer again, which I ran all last winter, and set it for 2 extra hours of light in the morning before the sun comes up and 1 hour at night after it gets dark. However, this hasn't worked, as my eggs per day still decreased.

How long should it take for the chickens to respond to longer "daylight"?

 

[AZBootsie]

Molting?? They usually have the first real molt their second autumn.

 

[msviolaceous]

I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but they've been counting down. Tomorrow your chickens will explode.

That or the molting thing.

 

[lhousesoccer]

Actually, there is a ridiculous amount of feathers on the floor of the coop under their roost. I thought they were pecking at each other. They don't really look like they're missing feathers though. I never realized that they would lay fewer eggs while molting. I hope this is the case! Thanks!

 

[yinzerchick]

I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but they've been counting down. Tomorrow your chickens will explode.

 

[Dora'smom]

Some of my birds go through a moult without looking like they did. If that makes sense. I only knew that my Wyandottes moulted when the coop had huge amounts of their feathers accumulated everywhere. My Rhode Island Reds, on the other hand, looked like porcupines. It probably is a moult.

 

[lhousesoccer]

So, chickens lay fewer eggs when they moult?

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
sometimes none at all.

growing a new set of feathers takes a lot of energy!

 

[lhousesoccer]

Great! Thanks for all the info. Looks like I better mix a little protein shake powder into my chicken scratch ....