Chickens Are Laying Sporadically 😩

[QiyeTLyriQue]

Question to all of my seasoned chicken folk - I have 2 adult chickens (Ginger & Dixie) that used to be my reliable layers. Then I have 6 Easter Egger pullets (Kurious, Duchess, Blondie, Praline, Summer, Jean Grae) that started laying back in June. Lastly, I have a Black Sex Link named Ivy, that has become my faithful layer since adding her to the flock (beginning of the month). I believe Roosevelt (roo), Ginger, and Dixie are molting and they started July-ish. They lay sporadically, maybe 2-3x week (vs. 5-6x week). I know chickens don't normally lay when they're molting so I'm not really concerned w/ their laying habits.

When the EEs started laying, I was getting at least 4 from them, collectively. Now I believe that 2 (Summer & Jean Grae) haven't laid at all (possibly baran? Is that a thing?). Within the last month or so I may get 2-3 eggs from them a day. Also, there are days when I get none, but that's infrequently, maybe every other week or so.

Things to consider:

• Their feed hasn't changed (they get Kalmbach 17% layer feed crumbles, Nutrena all flock 20% pellets)
• I add a homemade topper to their "breakfast" (3x/wk)
• I clean out all water sources regularly
• They get Nutrena Pro Scratch daily, usually in the afternoon. Sometimes I mix BSFL w/ it (in the summer I gave them cold blueberries, watermelon, strawberries instead but not daily)
• Maybe once a week I get them stuff from my garden (ripe tomatoes, cut up corn leaves, chopped up cucumber/peppers, etc.)
• They free range during the day
• Recently I moved the layers with other pullets-to-be (hatched June 9) into a different coop so my Silkie mamas could have their coop
• I relocated their favorite nesting boxes to said coop
• Recently I started incorporating milk thistle powder into their food (3x/wk)
• We live in the high desert, CA (dry, hot climate, lots of dirt/dust)
• There are no immediate predators outside of my own cats & dogs (I say that bc 1 of my dogs & 1 of my cats have eaten baby chicks before , but they don't actively attack or chase the chickens)
• EEs are not molting
• My EEs started laying "early" (14-15 wks) compared to what various chicken websites say
• My Silkies also started laying early (maybe 4 months)
• I got my adults & Silkies from local breeders
• I got my EEs from Kahoots

Based on all this information, is there a reason or something I'm not seeing/doing that could be triggering them not to lay regularly? Please let me know if you need additional info. I really appreciate your insight!

TIA ♡

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Question to all of my seasoned chicken folk - I have 2 adult chickens (Ginger & Dixie) that used to be my reliable layers. Then I have 6 Easter Egger pullets (Kurious, Duchess, Blondie, Praline, Summer, Jean Grae) that started laying back in June. Lastly, I have a Black Sex Link named Ivy, that has become my faithful layer since adding her to the flock (beginning of the month). I believe Roosevelt (roo), Ginger, and Dixie are molting and they started July-ish. They lay sporadically, maybe 2-3x week (vs. 5-6x week). I know chickens don't normally lay when they're molting so I'm not really concerned w/ their laying habits.

When the EEs started laying, I was getting at least 4 from them, collectively. Now I believe that 2 (Summer & Jean Grae) haven't laid at all (possibly baran? Is that a thing?). Within the last month or so I may get 2-3 eggs from them a day. Also, there are days when I get none, but that's infrequently, maybe every other week or so.

Things to consider:

• Their feed hasn't changed (they get Kalmbach 17% layer feed crumbles, Nutrena all flock 20% pellets)
• I add a homemade topper to their "breakfast" (3x/wk)
• I clean out all water sources regularly
• They get Nutrena Pro Scratch daily, usually in the afternoon. Sometimes I mix BSFL w/ it (in the summer I gave them cold blueberries, watermelon, strawberries instead but not daily)
• Maybe once a week I get them stuff from my garden (ripe tomatoes, cut up corn leaves, chopped up cucumber/peppers, etc.)
• They free range during the day
• Recently I moved the layers with other pullets-to-be (hatched June 9) into a different coop so my Silkie mamas could have their coop
• I relocated their favorite nesting boxes to said coop
• Recently I started incorporating milk thistle powder into their food (3x/wk)
• We live in the high desert, CA (dry, hot climate, lots of dirt/dust)
• There are no immediate predators outside of my own cats & dogs (I say that bc 1 of my dogs & 1 of my cats have eaten baby chicks before , but they don't actively attack or chase the chickens)
• EEs are not molting
• My EEs started laying "early" (14-15 wks) compared to what various chicken websites say
• My Silkies also started laying early (maybe 4 months)
• I got my adults & Silkies from local breeders
• I got my EEs from Kahoots

Based on all this information, is there a reason or something I'm not seeing/doing that could be triggering them not to lay regularly? Please let me know if you need additional info. I really appreciate your insight!

TIA ♡

One thing that jumps out at me is the daily Nutrena Pro Scratch.

What you have to watch out for with scratch and other treats (things that aren't a complete food) is that chickens can fill up on the scratch, which typically is a lot lower in protein, and therefore eat less of the Kalmbach and Nutrena All Flock, in your case. That would mean overall lower protein, and also probably lower calcium for shells. Do you also provide oyster shells on the side for calcium as needed? Laying birds are good about eating more calcium (if availabe) if their bodies tell them to.

The other maybe item is the recent coop move. Some hens don't blink an eye; others stage dramatic fits.

Thanks by the way for your extensive list! Sometimes it takes multiple posts to get all the info needed to try to analyze a problem

 

[Mrs. K]

Laying really is mostly dependent on genetics and day light. Unless the are being starved, feed will have limited effect. Good chicken rations are good for chickens though.

I think this is a daylight issue. My own flock, the older birds look like an all night party, molt and daylight have dropped my production to 25% of just two weeks ago

Mrs K

 

[QiyeTLyriQue]

One thing that jumps out at me is the daily Nutrena Pro Scratch.

What you have to watch out for with scratch and other treats (things that aren't a complete food) is that chickens can fill up on the scratch, which typically is a lot lower in protein, and therefore eat less of the Kalmbach and Nutrena All Flock, in your case. That would mean overall lower protein, and also probably lower calcium for shells. Do you also provide oyster shells on the side for calcium as needed? Laying birds are good about eating more calcium (if availabe) if their bodies tell them to.

The other maybe item is the recent coop move. Some hens don't blink an eye; others stage dramatic fits.

Thanks by the way for your extensive list! Sometimes it takes multiple posts to get all the info needed to try to analyze a problem

They get their scratch in the afternoon/evening time. Their breakfast is their feed wet. Sometimes I'll mix in blueberries. This is also when I mix in a homemade topper sometimes, as well as the milk thistle powder. Their breakfast is ALL GONE within an hr or so and since they're higher in the pecking order they eat first.

They also have oyster shell & grit readily available to them.

I forgot to mention, their random laying started weeks prior to the coop move.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Laying really is mostly dependent on genetics and day light. Unless the are being starved, feed will have limited effect. Good chicken rations are good for chickens though.

I think this is a daylight issue. My own flock, the older birds look like an all night party, molt and daylight have dropped my production to 25% of just two weeks ago

Mrs K

Oh, good point! We've been having extended summery weather (although cooler), and I keep forgetting that I'm now locking the chicken run a good hour earlier than during high summer.

 

[nuthatched]

What's this 'topper'?
They're getting way too much treats, reduce it to once or twice a week for any and all of it, including the scratch.
They're likely slowing down for winter.