Thank you for the reply. No. The run is very open and no nesting areas.
Sometimes, even in nest boxes with straw, it can be hard to find eggs. So, if the straw is sparse/not a thick layer, then you can probably see that there are not eggs. But, if they kick it around/pile it up or there is a lot of it, you may not see a hidden nest or some eggs.
Light: has it been really overcast? We’ve experienced a lack of eggs one year when it was really overcast for weeks.
Comb/wattles color: if they are red, they are likely laying…or getting ready to start again. If lighter color/pale, then they are not likely to be laying.
Water: fresh cool water. If you provide additive water (like ACV or electrolyte water) then you should have an additional plain water source. If there is only one waterer, you should have 2. If they do not drink enough, then egg production stops/slows. In summer when mine hide in the shade and drink enough water to just exist, they slow down laying. I combat this by giving them wet feed with ice cubes that will melt. This way they eat and hydrate at same time and think I’m awesome for bringing them a “treat”. Maybe watered down feed “treat” will help.
Too many treats: if you provide layer feed, it is bare minimum nutrients. If you give them treats, it dilutes those nutrients. Cut out treats. Or, buy an all-flock, typically 20% protein, and oyster shell (the all-flock doesn’t have enough calcium for layers), and see if that helps.
Molt: if they have decided to molt now (unusual, but could happen), they stop laying an energy goes into making feathers. Feathers are mostly protein, so increasing protein helps. Ways to increase protein during molt- switch to all flock, provide cooked meat (watch the salt, unsalted is best) including fish. Meslworms are really just meant to be occasional treats- they are high in fat, so should not make up the extra protein.
