Disappointed in my americanas (easter eggers)

[myfarm30]

They started laying at 18 and 21 weeks which I thought was great. However one lays light color brown egg the other does lay green/blue eggs. The one that does lay green eggs only lays on average once every two weeks. It's been about three months now so I thought it would get more consistent. I was looking forward to getting pretty colored eggs. Is this normal? I thought about getting more chicks in the spring but I am hesitant to get more americanas now and just go back to other breeds that are producing way more eggs.

 

[debid]

Not at all normal, no. Mine have all been 5-6/week in their youth and slowing down after age 3 (although my hen going on 7 is still laying occasionally!)

There are lots of possibilities. Are you ranging them at all? (Look for hidden nests, keep them in a few days...) What are your feeding practices? (Nutritional issue?) Where did you get your birds? (Normally, hatchery "Ameraucanas" are EEs that have been selected for egg color and productivity but backyard breeders don't necessarily have the same goals.)

 

[myfarm30]

Not at all normal, no. Mine have all been 5-6/week in their youth and slowing down after age 3 (although my hen going on 7 is still laying occasionally!)

There are lots of possibilities. Are you ranging them at all? (Look for hidden nests, keep them in a few days...) What are your feeding practices? (Nutritional issue?) Where did you get your birds? (Normally, hatchery "Ameraucanas" are EEs that have been selected for egg color and productivity but backyard breeders don't necessarily have the same goals.)

It is only one that doesn't lay a lot. The other two (one americana and one California white) we got at the same time this spring lay at least every other day. I have two older hens that I got last year and they have always been good layers. They all get the same food. They all came from hoover hatchery. We don't free range anymore since we had a coyote kill one of the older ones early this summer and we have foxes around a lot. The younger ones never did free range.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you want to be guaranteed a blue egg, you are going to have to get Ameraucanas, not EE. IMO, Ams are not as productive as EE. Almost all hatcheries sell EE and call them Ameraucanas. Shame on them for deceptive advertising which they are allowed to get away with. The only hatchery which I have found to be truthful is Cackle. They sell both EE, and Ameraucanas. You will notice a huge difference in price when comparing a true AM to an EE!!!

My EE have been good reliable producers. However, i have one odd duck gal. She is an EE from Cackle. She's now over 7 months old, and still not an egg out of her that I am aware of. She's a flighty, disobedient lass who is quickly working her way to the top of the short cull list.

 

[Kiki]

I agree that their laying is not normal.
What exactly do you feed them?

 

[myfarm30]

Well maybe this chicken is just odd. I feed all 5 of my chickens the same food, oyster shells and some corn. She is the only one that doesn't lay much.

 

[Kiki]

Could she, this one that isn't laying well, be eating most of the corn herself?

As in filling up on the corn and not getting full complete balanced meal each day?
I would stop feeding the corn for a while and see if that changes anything.

 

[sourland]

Switch to a balanced laying ration, and egg production should increase.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

When I looked at everybody's responses, I was surprised to see nobody bring up light. Maybe because you don't free range, they don't get as much sunlight? Just an idea, and I'd like to see somebody's response to this.

 

[Ljc01]

My EE were laying 5-6 eggs a week. One is molting now and has stopped laying, one is slowing down because it is fall. They are both almost 2years old.