Dramatic Production Drop, Right?

[MsBagawkbagawk]

So it has been about 105 with practically NO rain for the last three months. In april my thirty old hens were laying great, at about 24 eggs a day. No I'm seeing about a dozen a day, even with my new pullets coming into lay. I know that this is pretty normal, but I won't to make sure that everyone else is seeing the same dramatic drop. Thanks everybody!

 

[HEChicken]

I've seen a drop too but had a couple of things to explain it. First I moved house, so the birds that moved had about a 45-minute trip to their new home. Then, 3 weeks later a fox attacked and wiped out a good number of the flock. The move didn't seem to cut down on the laying as much as the fox attack. With the addition of a LGD, predators at the new place are no longer as big a concern but I think production stayed down due to the prolonged heat wave (I'm also in KS and facing similar weather conditions to you). Today I got the most eggs I've had in a month. When the weather cools down a little (roll on September) I hope to see an increase in production.

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Ok, I'm glad to see that someone else is seeing the same things.

I also forgot to mention that I've had a lot of broodiness from some of my best layers, so that is probably part of the problem too. I just got one gigantic egg from a bantam that hasn't laid in a few months, so that is a good sign I guess, luckily she didn't have any problems. Hopefully everyone will follow her lead

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Ok, right now I have somewhere between 16 and 18 laying hens, and some that I'm not sure about. Plus about 15 pullets are getting close. So 14 eggs per day is pretty good, right?

 

[HEChicken]

I would say so!

 

[Leghornmum]

during hot weather, I always mist my chickens lightly with the water house until their good and damp, this helps GREATLY with egg production in hot weather.

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Huh, I've never heard of that. I do spray the roosters when they are being evil, but that doesn't help with their egg production lol. I'll try that today.

Also, I was kind of freaking out because I thought that from 60 chickens 14 eggs a day was terrible! Then I started monitoring who was laying, took off all the ones that are under 6 months or roosters, and realized that I only had 18 laying hens. Which made me feel a lot better! Plus, I started collecting more so that my *stupid* dogs (still mad at them) won't steal eggs.

 

[Leghornmum]

only 18 laying hens? Well that's pretty good then! Hope the 'cooling off' helps then!

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Yeah, 20 mutt chicks, 8 roos, and 4 broodies. The other 11 should start laying soon though, then the chicks. I have a broody problem....

 

[Leghornmum]

I had a broody problem for a while too, but after I started misting them, it stopped mysteriously...