Decreased production...

[DVTO2]

I have six Golden Comets. The first year their egg production was fantastic - almost an egg a day and at least 6 a week. Just about a year later, their production dropped to about an egg every other day. I thought maybe this was due to molting, but it's gone on now for 4 months - could this till be molting. Is it normal for egg production to drop off this quickly - I thought I would get at least two years of good production out of these hens.

 

[Magic Birdie]

It could be Winter

 

[magnolia-1971]

yep, winter

 

[3goodeggs]

Lower light, less protein available because they are using it to replace their feathers... I have 22 chickens, I am getting two eggs per day.

chicken stock time!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It could possibly be molting. Normally it does not take that long, but some hens can take even longer. Here are a couple of articles on molting that might help.

Mississippi State describes molting
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

Kansas State feather loss
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf

Have your hens molted? It is pretty normal for my pullets to lay throughout their first winter and just skip the molt. But they always molt their second fall. If a hen goes a really long time without molting, the egg shell color gets real pale if she lays brown eggs, but after a molt the eggs are back to a real pretty brown. It is also not unusual for a hen to slow down in egg production if she has gone a really long time without a molt. It certainly could just be winter, but it could also be that they need a molt.

 

[DVTO2]

If its molting its been a slow molt.

They produced right through last winter. I do give them extra light.