Brown egg layers going on strike?

[andythescot]

Hi all, for a few weeks now egg production has been down dramatically. Basically right now for layers I have two easter eggers, two Rhode Island reds and two buff orpingtons. All are in their third year are the same age. I know that egg production starts to decline in older birds like mine, but two weeks ago we were getting 3-5 eggs a day and now we're just getting eggs from our two EEs. They're confined to the run for most of the day and I've been checking their usual hiding places for eggs they may have laid while ranging and I've got nothing. Could the heat be whats affecting their egg production? Its usually the EEs who seem more affected from the heat since they're always panting... and it hasn't been terribly hot out. What could be causing this problem?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!

 

[Eowyn2]

Heat can certainly decrease egglaying. Could they be getting ready to molt?

 

[andythescot]

I don't know.. they had their first molt this past winter. I don't really know much about molting though.. so maybe?

 

[Eowyn2]

Did they ever start laying again or did you ever figure out the problem?

 

[andythescot]

Sort of.. I think that for the most part they stopped laying due to stress. At the time of the decline, I started introducing six new birds (all very young) to the flock, and eventually I built a new coop right next to the one the big girls live in. The new birds plus the new coop I think caused a lot of stress for them. So then the stress + the heat probably made the heavy feathered brown egg layers to stop laying. Now I've got one brown egger in molt, and one laying, but still others who aren't. It might still be the stress, and this weekend I'll be moving them all into the same coop, and lord knows that will be stressful so..

But I don't really know.. Its still kind of a frustrating mystery because for the most part they still aren't laying.

 

[Iteach2008]

I want to jump in here. Hope that is okay. I have brown egg layers who have quit laying too for about 8-10 weeks now. Let me just clarify what it isn't...no predators/no stress/no molting/no diet change/no coop changes/no new chickens. The only thing changed is their egg production. This is their second summer. When do chickens quit laying? Now it has been an unusually hot summer so maybe that is it. My EE is still lays everyday. Who knows?

I also have first year layers and they are flat cranking them out, and they are brown layers too. I think breed plays apart.

My none producing 2-year-olds: Australorp, Sussex, Sexlink, Brahma,

Producing 1-year-olds: Welsymer, Wyndotte, BO, EE, and still waiting on a Barred Rock to start to laying, but the other four give us eggs every day.

Well that is my story. Good luck all.

 

[Eowyn2]

Oh yes, Andy, introducing new chickens plus new coop can stop laying for 2-4 weeks easy. That plus the heat would do it no problem. Don't expect it to get any better when you change things again soon either.


Iteach, I would bet your 2 year olds are molting. I understand the first real good molt is about 18 mos. The heat could certainly play a role as well.

 

[Iteach2008]

Oh, our new hens are separate from the older ones. And there are no feathers laying around so I bet it's the heat. We'll see what happens in the fall.