does the weather effect egglaying so much??

[spish]

i have 40+ hens/pullets and 4 main roos. each roo has an enclosure with his girls within a large field. each group has their own hen house.
now say at least 10 of our girls should be laying but we've only been getting 5 eggs per day. i thought maybe some of the older girls had maybe stopped laying, so went out and bought 5amrock hens (+roo) and 4 australorp hens (+roo) gave them each a house and enclosure.

now for the past 2 days...despite all those hens...we've had a grand total of 0 eggs. thats right not a single egg from all those chickens. what is going on? no sign of broken eggs, nothing can get in to steal them....all thats changed is the weather... (from warm to very wet and cool weather..far to cold for this time of year..should be in the 25degrees....is barely reachinging 19 most days)

 

[artsyrobin]

i know weather affects mine- too hot, thunderstorms etc. also how much light do they get? they need 14 hours a day to lay regularly, in the winter they will lay less often

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi Spish,
I wonder if your birds are getting enough protein. I saw your post in the Feeding section that you were wondering if you needed to feed extra because they were free ranged so much and fed so many scraps. A drop in egg production is one sign that your birds might not be getting enough. I would try to supplement their diet with something that has a high protein content. The good thing is that they seem to respond pretty quickly to a diet higher in protein with increased egg production (when they've been lacking). So, you should know if that's the problem very quickly. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[TNRIRRoo]

I know here they have slowed down. If we get a couple of less hot days (low 90's) the production picks up a little. Let it get into the upper 90's and from 10 hens I might get 5-6 eggs.

 

[dawg53]

A sudden drop in temps or heat will definitely affect egg production. The chickens need time to adjust and they'll start laying again. They need at least 16% protein in their layer feed to maintain egg productivity. Ensure crushed oyster shell is provided as well. TNRIRRoo, your production sounds about the same as mine in this heat.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

I free range and give them scraps and flock raiser, it is in the 100's everyday and I get about 10 eggs a day from 12 hens.

They might have a hidden stash or you might have a few egg eaters or they might be stressed, are their any predators that have been around lately? I have seen squirrels steal eggs so if they are around I would find a way to keep them out!

It sounds like you have a nice set up though!

ETA: when it is very wet they usually slow down, I rarely get eggs on very wet days.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
I agree with all this - AND - sometimes, they just need a break from laying. I have often seen a hen take a week - 10 days off, and just when I really begin to worry, they start back up. Also, they could be molting. I don't recall if you posted their age, but as they mature (3+ years) they slow down in laying, as well. You might also check for parasites such as mites or lice; that'll slow them down.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

Quote:
I agree with all this - AND - sometimes, they just need a break from laying. I have often seen a hen take a week - 10 days off, and just when I really begin to worry, they start back up. Also, they could be molting. I don't recall if you posted their age, but as they mature (3+ years) they slow down in laying, as well. You might also check for parasites such as mites or lice; that'll slow them down.

Your right the sudden temp drop would cause them to molt even if they are not ready.

 

[woodmort]

The simple answer to your question is "Yes, weather, especially extremes of hot or cold, do effect egglaying." If they were laying before, when things get back to "normal" the hens will too.

 

[Robeenop]

I have been noticing fewer eggs the past couple weeks out of 27 hens. They are between 1 - 3 years old. A Buff and Astro are broody, which has not been disruptive. We have had 5 inches of rain. I have a large pen, but has been a mess with all the Rain. I bought poultry netting from Premier 1, and have been letting them free range. It sounds like a protein issue. They all get premium feed. I went to the feed store and got a bag of Manna pro calf Manna. I suppliment with that when they molt. It gets them though it quickly, with beautiful coloring. Plus they LOVE it.Plus better product and cheaper than feather fixer. Paid $15 for 20lbs. Should solve my problem...and many others I expect.