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

[Mo'sMenagerie]

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!?

 

[pozees2]

Any chance they have hidden nests? Any snakes or other possible egg eaters around? DH caught a bull snake swiping an egg just yesterday, here.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

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.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Any chance they have hidden nests? Any snakes or other possible egg eaters around? DH caught a bull snake swiping an egg just yesterday, here.

I'm home all the time now, and I have not been finding/seeing/catching any egg snatchers. I don't hear the ladies making their egg laying call often either. So it seems like they are just not laying...

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

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.

Hmmmm. Good idea, however they get mean with each other when I lock them up. I guess I could try it just worried they will beat up the pullets.

I have searched the yard over and over for places they could hide the eggs. We live in a big open area with only a single large elderberry tree and then some small scrubby bushes.I've checked all these areas with no sign of eggs.

 

[pozees2]

How old are the hens and pullets? Any chance the older ones are starting molt and the younger ones aren't old enough to lay yet?

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

How old are the hens and pullets? Any chance the older ones are starting molt and the younger ones aren't old enough to lay yet?

The hens range in age from 1 year to 2 years. The pullets are 3.5 months old. Seems really early for a molt...but maybe. You don't think the wind could be a factor?

 

[pozees2]

I do think wind could be a factor, but also I think age is working against you. Pullets are too young to start laying, and hens molt right around 18 months of age, so actually the food switch should help them if they are molting or getting ready to (feathers are made primarily of protein, so grower being higher in protein will help them finish molt faster and in better condition). Have you seen many feathers around the yard or in the coop?

 

[AMoritz]

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!?

I had the same problem all winter and spring and couldn't figure it out, I chalked it up to winter being too cold and spring just not being enough spring.

Not the case, found out by accident/pure luck that my hens been cracking open my eggs and eating em

So we let them out super early in the morning and collect eggs every few hours instead, this gets us about 4-6 eggs out of 9 possible daily now. My husband is also building roll away nesting boxes for them next week to help as well!

 

[pozees2]

I had the same problem all winter and spring and couldn't figure it out, I chalked it up to winter being too cold and spring just not being enough spring.

Not the case, found out by accident/pure luck that my hens been cracking open my eggs and eating em

So we let them out super early in the morning and collect eggs every few hours instead, this gets us about 4-6 eggs out of 9 possible daily now. My husband is also building roll away nesting boxes for them next week to help as well!

I have had good luck eliminating egg eating by increasing protein in the diet - feeing flock raiser/all flock/grower with free choice oyster shell on the side.