Changing colors in eggs

[PastorRandy]

Hi...I'm new to this forum. I need some answers...if anyone has any. I have 40 golden comets who started laying in April...any where from 35 to 40 eggs each day. They were medium to dark brown eggs. Then, about a week ago they started laying lighter colored eggs...almost light brown. Then, in the last two days they practically stopped laying. I got 15 eggs yesterday and only 13 today. Anyone know why the color has changed and why they've stopped laying? I also have 18 Americanas (blue and green egg layers). They too have all but stopped laying. Can anyone advise me?

I wonder if I've over fed them with bread? I've been giving them about four loaves of bread each day...lately I've increased that to 8 loaves. Is that possibly the problem? I've considered the lighting issue...but I have lights on a timer to give them 16 hours of light each day...any help?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I'd cut out or down on the bread, but you could be seeing a mini-molt they seem to go through about 9 months old or so. Some of mine are doing that. Egg color will be naturally lighter toward the end of their cycle, close to a molt. I rarely give my birds bread since it effectively lowers the protein content of their food. Well, all starchy treats do.

 

[wyliefarms]

That is weird.

Where are you located? Has the weather changed at all?

I would decrease the bread, since that is the link that you mentioned to the decrease in egg production. Bread isn't the only food they get I hope.

Make sure that they have plenty of fresh water, and layer feed. This feed has the calcium that they need for good egg shells.

The light is good and will help with continued egg production.

Out of curiosity, what do you do with that large quantity of eggs daily? I assume sell them.

Sarah

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Bread is meant as a treat, not a main food source... they need to be either free ranged or on commercial food, cracked corn with suppliments etc... They do not have enough nutrition/vitamins to lay well--
also-- it is fall, they may be getting ready to molt, and having too much bread could have started em a bit early....

keep an eye out for dropped feathers!

 

[PastorRandy]

Thanks for the responses. I live near Charlotte, NC. I sell the eggs to folks at the school where I am headmaster and to a local family grocery store. I've cut down on bread...back to two loaves per day (the goats get the rest). I read a post by someone on a different site who suggested that perhaps introducing new chickens may be part of the problem. I put in 40 more golden comets in an adjacent pen. They can see one another but have no contact. I all, I have about 78 hens laying (40 golden comets, 10 old various hens, and 18 Americanas) at this time. I also have the 40 new golden comets, who will begin laying in about six weeks. I have about 35 (straight run) chicks that are about 7 weeks old (hatched them on my dining room table...the Mrs. says that will NEVER happen again!!!). I also have about 30 four week old chicks in my wood shop (straight run as well).

All of my chickens are (were) free-range. I've built coups and houses inside the pens. They come into the coup at night and I lock it down so predators can't get them. In 18 months, I've not lost a single chicken to predators. I've noticed they love the apples and pears that fall from the fruit trees. They stripped my blackberry bushes as high as they could reach.

Unfortunately, my farm is next door to the village idiot. He's been threatening to kill my Peacock (because it "bothers" him). I'm afraid he'll harm the chickens as well...so, they've not been allowed to free-range unless someone is there to keep an eye on them...or actually, the village idiot.

About a month ago I bought another farm a little further away. I'm going to move the chickens over there as soon as the goats finish eating off all the extra briars and shrubs and I have the new pens, coups, and houses built (the lumber company is delivering the lumber this Friday).

How long will it take for them to begin laying again? Is there anything I can do to make the transition to the new farm easier so they don't quit laying again? Thanks for all the advice you folks have given me.

This started out as a hobby (to remind me of my years growing up on a farm in Iowa). But now it's beginning to make some money...and potential for much more. I've been selling teh eggs for $3.00 per dozen. I appreciate all of your responses.

Pastor Randy

 

[wyliefarms]

Good luck and it is great to have such a big market!

Sorry about the village idiot. There always seems to be one in every neighborhood! I just hope that the neighbors don't think that I am one