9 hens, 1 roo, 5 pullets = NO EGGS! What the heck is going on???

[Mo'sMenagerie]

My egg production has been down the past month, too. My hens are just over 1 year old, and currently they are down about 17% from the previous month - but that was an all time high month. Anyway, here are some things I think may be affecting my egg production....

1) Free range feeding. In my case, I bring loads of grass clippings into my chicken run for the hens because I cannot free range the birds due to predator concerns. Still, they scratch and eat things in the grass clippings all day and they eat maybe only about 50% of their commercial layer crumbles every day. My layer feed is 18% protein, but I suspect the grass clippings are considerably less in terms of protein, despite whatever bugs they find to eat in the grass. The eggs are both less in number, and smaller in size since the hens have been outside in the chicken run eating grass.

2) I have 1 broody hen that is sitting in one of the nest boxes all day. I know that she is not laying any eggs, but I wonder if that affects any of the other girls?

3) I went through a short week of one, or more, of the hens eating eggs. So I started collecting eggs many times per day and that seems to have worked as I have not seen any signs of broken/eaten eggs in the nest boxes for a couple of weeks now. I keep wooden eggs in the nest boxes, so I collect the real eggs and if they peck the wooden eggs there is nothing good to eat.

4) We went through a couple of weeks of hot and humid weather (for us) and I think that may have had some affect on the hens. Instead of being outside all day scratching and pecking the deep litter compost for good things to eat, they were spending the majority of the day resting in whatever shade they could find and really did not bother to get active until after suppertime. That only leaves them a few hours before they head back into the coop for the night.

Sorry to hear that your egg production is down to almost nil. I suspect everyone here on the BYC forums knows what it takes to tend their flock everyday and those precious eggs are payback for our effort. I hope you can turn around your situation soon.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Sounds like you "get it." Could have dinnering to do with them having less grass to

Ok, so egg production at my house is WAY down. I can't believe that for over a month now i've been getting days with no eggs or 1, or at most 3. The flock is healthy and fairly young (just took a couple to the vet and they got clean bills of health), they free-range on a fenced in acre, they have access to oyster shell and crushed egg shells for added calcium, I give them a treat of yogurt about 1x a week, and they've even been getting Layer Boost vitamins in their water which usually always gets them laying big time!. It's summertime, but temps have been in the 55-75 degree range, so not too hot. So why am I only getting 0-3 eggs a day????

Here are the only things I can think of that could be factors:

• a switch from Scratch n'Peck layer to Scratch n'Peck Grower feed with the addition of the 5 pullets to the flock about 5 weeks
• one broody hen has new chicks in a chicken tractor set up in my garden, separate from the main coop
• the month of June and July are 2 of the windiest times on record in my area (regular winds 15-25 mph, with occasional gusts 30-40mph)

Someone please, please, please tell me what I'm doing wrong here? Or what can I do to get my egg laying ladies back on the lay!?

Just found a big 'ol bull snake slithering away from the chicken coop! I bet he's the culprit!

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Sounds like you "get it." Could have dinnering to do with them having less grass to

Just found a big 'ol bull snake slithering away from the chicken coop! I bet he's the culprit!

... And add much as I appreciate scared for their help keeping rodents at Bay,

When we have low egg production, it is usually a black snake around.
I also have encountered this when a change has occurred. New hens, displacement.

Just found a big bull snake coming from the coop! I bet that he is the culprit

 

[Debby R]

Ok, so egg production at my house is WAY down. I can't believe that for over a month now i've been getting days with no eggs or 1, or at most 3. The flock is healthy and fairly young (just took a couple to the vet and they got clean bills of health), they free-range on a fenced in acre, they have access to oyster shell and crushed egg shells for added calcium, I give them a treat of yogurt about 1x a week, and they've even been getting Layer Boost vitamins in their water which usually always gets them laying big time!. It's summertime, but temps have been in the 55-75 degree range, so not too hot. So why am I only getting 0-3 eggs a day????

Here are the only things I can think of that could be factors:

• a switch from Scratch n'Peck layer to Scratch n'Peck Grower feed with the addition of the 5 pullets to the flock about 5 weeks
• one broody hen has new chicks in a chicken tractor set up in my garden, separate from the main coop
• the month of June and July are 2 of the windiest times on record in my area (regular winds 15-25 mph, with occasional gusts 30-40mph)

Someone please, please, please tell me what I'm doing wrong here? Or what can I do to get my egg laying ladies back on the lay!?

My hens (except 1) have gone into a summer molt and so have those of two of my friends. This is very unusual. We’re in FL.

 

[Mark Park]

My hens (except 1) have gone into a summer molt and so have those of two of my friends. This is very unusual. We’re in FL.

They can do that if they get stressed out by something.

 

[paloozaparty]

Ok, so egg production at my house is WAY down. I can't believe that for over a month now i've been getting days with no eggs or 1, or at most 3. The flock is healthy and fairly young (just took a couple to the vet and they got clean bills of health), they free-range on a fenced in acre, they have access to oyster shell and crushed egg shells for added calcium, I give them a treat of yogurt about 1x a week, and they've even been getting Layer Boost vitamins in their water which usually always gets them laying big time!. It's summertime, but temps have been in the 55-75 degree range, so not too hot. So why am I only getting 0-3 eggs a day????

Here are the only things I can think of that could be factors:

• a switch from Scratch n'Peck layer to Scratch n'Peck Grower feed with the addition of the 5 pullets to the flock about 5 weeks
• one broody hen has new chicks in a chicken tractor set up in my garden, separate from the main coop
• the month of June and July are 2 of the windiest times on record in my area (regular winds 15-25 mph, with occasional gusts 30-40mph)

Someone please, please, please tell me what I'm doing wrong here? Or what can I do to get my egg laying ladies back on the lay!?

My guess: you may find eggs were laid somewhere else in your acre? I totally understand that hens get habituated to hatching in ONE spot, but I'm just wondering that if, since they're younger, that the trolling on an acre has given them some other ideas?

And/Or, that some other animal is stealing them?

My first thought isn't that you're doing anything wrong... unless you find that they're eating something that prevents or slows egg laying? (like, I've read that citrus fruits slow production)--or, if they're eating something on your acre (wild/weed/seed) that affects egglaying?

 

[oldhen2345]

That's was my thought as well. Start looking in the bushes and other cover they have access to.

When my hens pull this crap I put them in their run for a few days. No free range. This retrains them to use the nesting boxes.

My eggs have gone to 0 for the last couple of days. I only have 4 chickens- 2 hens, 2 pullets. The hens are 4 yrs and 2 yrs old and the pullets are 10 months. The hens have been broody and are just coming out of it. The pullets have been laying like champs- I get two pullet size eggs nearly every day. Well, two days, no eggs at all. I have looked for nests, none, I checked for snakes, none. I have had two racoons on my patio last week. Haven't seen them in a few nights. I have been locking my chickens up every night to keep them safe. I check for eggs twice a day. The heat has been in the 90's, so it IS hot. they get layer feed and grit and oyster shell free choice. They free range in a fenced in area - 6 ft privacy fence on two sides and 4 ft pig wire fence on two sides. I haven't seen any sign they are eating eggs- no wet shavings in the nesting box, no egg shells noted. So what am I missing?