Disappearing eggs???They are eating them!!! What now??

[cackydoodledoo]

For the past couple months my egg production has been way down in the one coop. I have 17 chickens in there(had 19 but two died recently) and am only getting 3-4 eggs a day. On a rare day I will get 6. I am feeding and watering them good. They went through a moult in early spring and I attributed it to that but two months later and nothing is getting better.

The other day I go in to collect eggs and two of the eggs are coated with yolk. Next day my DH finds the remains of an egg in there. Today I have a yellow breasted white leghorn!!!!

Not sure what to do to keep this from happening. I am looking for suggestions if anyone has any???

 

[Judy]

Heat can cause all these things, if it is hot where you are. I'm getting 1 to 3, occasionally 4, from hens that used to lay 6 or 7 a day.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/11/egg-defects

Of course it could be a snake, skunk, etc. eating them as well.

 

[cmom]

I agree the heat may be affecting their egg laying. You may have an egg eater or if their eggs have thin shells they may break open in the nests and the birds will eat the shells but there will be ick on the eggs and maybe on the chickens who lay in the nest with the broken egg.

 

[Doggywide13]

Hi, I'm very new to this chicken thing but I'm loving it, i have 9 pol pullets and 2 started laying I also have 2 10 month old silkies which were laying away. Was getting 3 - 4 a day now I lucky to get one every 2 days. I think one of the silkies is in
Molt cus it has a bald breast and not herself. If it is the molt does this affect the whole flock as I thought the rest are too young to molt. Was thinking of getting a couple more but with this going on does that mean they won't lay either.
Please explain whats going On cus I don't have a clue.
Thanks Phil.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
It could be the heat but your silkie could easily be broody. Does she sit on the nest puffed out and not want to ever get up? Like a pancake zombie mama? They don't lay when they're broody (wanting to hatch eggs).

 

[carladababe]

I've been told to watch for snakes.

 

[Doggywide13]

Don't think it's the heat cus I live in Ireland and it doesnt get that hot. She tends to stay by the fence lying in the dirt. Even when I'm feeding them she s not bothered. If she s brooding would the rest slow down laying. Thanks for ur help

 

[cackydoodledoo]

It could possibly be the heat but I don't know. I have two friends whose chickens are laying just fine and the temp is the same. We have snakes here but my coop is pretty much snake proof and I can't believe that they are coming back every day for months to steal eggs. Going to check here in a few and see what' out there and take them and then check later tonight!

 

[PetRock]

We have an egg stealing scrub jay (our area's version of a blue jay). He flies into the coop, breaks a small hole in the chosen egg, and flies out with the egg! My 9 yr old told me about it but I didn't believe her until I saw him fly in. We have a large door on the side of the coop that we leave open during the day for increased ventilation and so we can easily see what's going on in there. But even when that's closed, the jay flies into the run and into the coop through the small chicken door. Ornery little blue thief!!! Fortunately, we have a pair of mockingbirds who have made a nest in one of our trees. They are vigilant about driving the offending jay out of our yard! Yeah for the mockingbirds!

 

[cackydoodledoo]

They are eating the eggs. For three days in a row I have went out there at random times to check for eggs and found eggs half eaten. Grrrrr why in the world are these silly hens eating their eggs? For the record they have plenty of food and water and plenty of room to roam. I let them free range for at least 3-4 hours a day or more if I will be home all day. I have 16 hens in that coop that are all laying age and am only getting 3-4 eggs if I am lucky.