Chickens not laying!! Help!

[chickenman220]

So my dad and I are very new to raising chickens and we are learning a lot on the way. On Easter I went to Tractor Supply and bought 9 chicks; 6 white pullets and 3 RIR's. The pullets started laying in mid August and after their first week they were laying 6 eggs a day! But then that number went down to 4, then 3. Now I have gotten 2 eggs from the pullets for the past two days and one from my only laying RIR. I am wondering why are my pullets not laying as much as they were in August? I have changed the bedding in their coop a week ago but the RIR still lays every day. When my eggs dropped to four a day I thought it was the heat(I live in VA.) because it had been hotter that week. Now it has been very cloudy and rainy the past two days so it could be that as well. I am wondering is my decrease in egg production caused by a single one of these factors, or by a combination of them all? Also, will my egg production continue to be low or will it pick back up once the weather changes? Any tips or pointers would be extremely helpful because again I am very new to chickens. Thank you all so much.

 

[sunflour]

Are you feeding them layer feed?

 

[chickenman220]

Yes i have started them on layer feed two weeks ago

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Actually, layer feed or not has nothing to do with whether they produce eggs - in fact, the lower protein content can sometimes have a negative impact on production. The only "advantage" to the layer feed is the calcium content, which rather than effecting production would effect quality of the eggs produced.

 

[sunflour]

Actually, layer feed or not has nothing to do with whether they produce eggs - in fact, the lower protein content can sometimes have a negative impact on production. The only "advantage" to the layer feed is the calcium content, which rather than effecting production would effect quality of the eggs produced.

Good point.

 

[chickenman220]

Actually, layer feed or not has nothing to do with whether they produce eggs - in fact, the lower protein content can sometimes have a negative impact on production. The only "advantage" to the layer feed is the calcium content, which rather than effecting production would effect quality of the eggs produced.

wow I didn't know that.