6 Chickens and 2 Eggs

[btifulriot]

Hi All!

We currently have 6 free range chickens, all female, who eat really well (layer pellets, organic scratch, scraps from kitchen, etc) and have access to water and grass all day. We are only getting 2 eggs a day from them though, and I'm not sure its ok! We had to dose them up on dewormer a month and a half ago, and they just stopped laying after that. Is this a normal thing? They are not laying anywhere else in the yard, we check daily. We are based in Phoenix, AZ, so theres no random hot to cold switch that we need to worry about, and they are not molting. They were all laying healthy, beautiful eggs, and then just stopped!

Is this normal? Is there something I can do to up egg production? Am I just being paranoid? I would hate for any of my ladies to be egg-bound or sick, but I am out of ideas!

 

[aart]

Hi All!

We currently have 6 free range chickens, all female, who eat really well (layer pellets, organic scratch, scraps from kitchen, etc) and have access to water and grass all day. We are only getting 2 eggs a day from them though, and I'm not sure its ok! We had to dose them up on dewormer a month and a half ago, and they just stopped laying after that. Is this a normal thing? They are not laying anywhere else in the yard, we check daily. We are based in Phoenix, AZ, so theres no random hot to cold switch that we need to worry about, and they are not molting. They were all laying healthy, beautiful eggs, and then just stopped!

Is this normal? Is there something I can do to up egg production? Am I just being paranoid? I would hate for any of my ladies to be egg-bound or sick, but I am out of ideas!

How old are they, in months?
What breeds are they?
Why, and with what, did you deworm them?
I'd cut out all the scraps and scratch for a couple weeks.

Even tho you've 'looked all over', still might be good to keep them confined:
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 a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Chickens4Life101]

How long has this been going on?

 

[chickenlittle21]

is their food medicated?

 

[chickenlittle21]

maybe 2 chickens lay a day, like egg laying rotations