Anyone Else with Low Egg Production?

[kismit]

it is completely normal and natural for production to drop during the waning time of sun light during the year. it is their rest period, because why would nature push them to provide for themselves and their chicks during the lean time?
much like humans, chickens hatch with their entire fertility potential (read, potential eggs) already set. so prolonging their light cycle out of the seasonal norms both extends your lay season for the year, but also decreases the years the hens will lay.
supporting them nutritionally can *help* if its a nutrient related issue, such as a hard molt. but it doesn't change their base nature in a way to cause them to lay.

do i currently have a light on a timer in my coop? yep. but its set for 30 minutes after sunset because the wee darlings like pulling the "go to bed? no! i'm a party chicken and i like to party party!" far too often if i don't.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have 8 hens and haven't had a single egg since this past July. Thought if it was caused by fireworks and that surely they'd be over it by now! I've tried different foods and I give them scraps and green leafy stuff from the yard or my garden and bugs as well. I have no idea how to fix this. I hope someone else here knows what to do.

Give fewer treats or none. They need the balanced nutrition of their commercial feed, it's that "20% protein" that enables them to make eggs. The more treats they eat, the less good food they're getting. True, at this time of year production may not increase right away - but you'll be priming their systems to get off to a good start once the days lengthen. Also, you may have to lower your expectations of your older birds. They may never yield again like they did during Year 2.

 

[Borneheld]

I have 3 hens, 2 English Orps, and a Minorca. The Minorca was my best layer, averaging 5-6 per week. She started her 1st molt (she's about 15 mos.) about a month ago and stopped laying altogether.
The 2 Orps really aren't great producers, but they were laying up until 2 weeks ago, at which time they started to molt and ceased altogether (they're first molt as well).
The little Minorca seems to be fully feathered now, so I am waiting for her to start up again. But basically, we haven't had a new egg for over 2 weeks now. I want an omelet!

My 5 hens normally lay an egg a day, its been this consistent for 2 years, until a few weeks ago. My egg production went down 1 at a time until now I am at 1 egg a day.
I had noticed 1 hen in molt about 4 weeks ago, so I knew that was why I am down 1 egg then, but now I have 3 other hens in molt. Which has me at the 1 egg a day. I see the feathers coming in now, so I am checking the egg count. I hope it don't stay low, I actually had to go buy a dozen eggs from the grocery store...omg!

 

[Lake Country Layers]

0 eggs for me for the past 3 weeks or so All my fluffy bottomed ones seem to be going through their first molt. It seems to be a big molting season this year as I've had new people coming by to buy eggs because their usual farm is going through the molt as well. I actually had to go buy eggs from a grocery store last week!! egad!!

 

[Gardener girl]

I have 3 hens, 2 English Orps, and a Minorca. The Minorca was my best layer, averaging 5-6 per week. She started her 1st molt (she's about 15 mos.) about a month ago and stopped laying altogether.
The 2 Orps really aren't great producers, but they were laying up until 2 weeks ago, at which time they started to molt and ceased altogether (they're first molt as well).
The little Minorca seems to be fully feathered now, so I am waiting for her to start up again. But basically, we haven't had a new egg for over 2 weeks now. I want an omelet!

Same thing in my world, the girls went into a heavy molt and stopped laying completely. They have most of their feathers back now but still no eggs. But now it is darker so I'm afraid they might not lay until spring? Last year we at least got a few eggs over winter! Just the nature of the beast I guess.....

 

[JerseyMike]

6 of my 10 have stopped laying for a little over a month now. All 6 are molting and look like something grabbed them and gave them a shake. They look so pathetic. I'm just happy 4 of them are not a year old yet and are still producing.

 

[knurse1]

I have 3 hens, 2 English Orps, and a Minorca. The Minorca was my best layer, averaging 5-6 per week. She started her 1st molt (she's about 15 mos.) about a month ago and stopped laying altogether.
The 2 Orps really aren't great producers, but they were laying up until 2 weeks ago, at which time they started to molt and ceased altogether (they're first molt as well).
The little Minorca seems to be fully feathered now, so I am waiting for her to start up again. But basically, we haven't had a new egg for over 2 weeks now. I want an omelet!

We have 10 golden comets
We are still averaging 8 per day. We have a very large run for them and sometimes we will turn on our automatic lighting that we have out in the run are
a
We never light where they roost at night.
I am sorry about your poor egg production. Also we feed our chickens only organic feed and snacks
Snacks like organic dry meal worms, cauliflower watermelon. I hope this is helpful for all of you guys out there

 

[Kimfsmith1973]

I have 8 hens and haven't had a single egg since this past July. Thought if it was caused by fireworks and that surely they'd be over it by now! I've tried different foods and I give them scraps and green leafy stuff from the yard or my garden and bugs as well. I have no idea how to fix this. I hope someone else here knows what to do.

Have you tried to increase their protein intake to 22%? I have added chick starter crumble to their 17% pellets. We also give raw pumpkin, ears of corn, kale, spinach, and we add oil of oregano to their water. We have about 33 hens in total. We are up to average 14 - 16 eggs a day.

 

[16 and me]

Same thing in my world, the girls went into a heavy molt and stopped laying completely. They have most of their feathers back now but still no eggs. But now it is darker so I'm afraid they might not lay until spring? Last year we at least got a few eggs over winter! Just the nature of the beast I guess.....

Ditto. 10 laying hens and not a single egg for 4 weeks for me. Only 1 still in heavy molt. I suspect it'll be January before I see another egg.

 

[clumberfam]

ours are 2 1/2 years old and going thru an ugly molt. We lost three of the eight - not sure why. Didn't seem to be egg bound but I just don't know - sick for a day then gone. The others are fine but have virtually stopped laying despite having extra light on a timer. We were getting 4 - 5 eggs per day. That has stopped in the past month and now we're lucky to get one every other day. One of them (not sure which) lays eggs with paper thin shells despite getting extra calcium and having free choice oyster shell along with the layer pellets. Just makes a mess of the nest box and one less egg for eating! Anyway, they're active as usual, chatty, nosy, and have been enjoying their pumpkin. I just figured maybe it's time for them to shut down production for the winter.