Don't know what to do

[lightscents]

Got my first chickens last year in Feb. 5 hens and by Oct was getting 5 eggs a day. In Feb I got 6 more girls and 1 rooster. As of now only getting 3 eggs a day sometimes 5. As of this week the eggs are broken. they are also laying not in the nest but on the floor. Put new hay in the 3 nest and today no hay in nest at all. 2 eggs but both broken. What am I doing wrong? Beautiful rooster but wonder if he just needs to go?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any hens over a year will quit laying in the fall to molt and recover, they will resume laying usually after the daylight begins to lengthen.

Broken eggs is a different matter, are the eggs being eaten, pecked open, is it toenail pokes or actual cracks which will happen when a hen stands up to push out the egg, or when one hen lays an egg onto another, make sure you have some fake eggs in the nests and the bedding is thick. Younger hens will sometimes make bad choices about egg laying but will improve as time goes on. I don't think the rooster is the problem.

 

[lightscents]

I have wooden eggs in the nest and they kick them out. 2 of the girls seem to be losing feathers. Is that molting? The eggs are cracked open. Haven't seen any pecked marks just cracked open. I put the hay back in yesterday so will see whats going on this morning. Thank you

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Molting is losing and replacing all the feather either quickly or slowly, some you can tell others not as easy except for feathers everywhere.

Young hens sometimes get vigorous about digging in the nestboxes and will kick out the bedding, I like a mix of hay and shavings in mine, they should calm down as they get older, best to try to collect the eggs as often as possible.

 

[aart]

Oldhenlikesdogs makes some great points.

Other questions:
Are the broken egg thin shelled?
How long have the new pullets been laying?
What are you feeding?

I'd leave the hay in the nests, changing things around every day might only make them nervous. They don't like change much, takes time for them to get used to new things.