egg laying changes

[ChillyChicken]

This is my first year with chickens as an adult, and I have done much research on this site, and have learned much from those who post regularly.
In late April I got my first chicks, and all but one of them have started laying. The RSL started laying in August, laying an egg a day until this week (6 weeks). Last week one of the BO's started laying, the other BO started today.The RIR has yet to lay.
I started them on fermented feed in early September, and they free range for several hours every day. I also give them vegetable scraps and meal worms as treats. All the girls are in apparent good health, none sluggish or moody. There was a brief time I had to go on egg hunts, but locking them in the coop until "after egg" fixed that.


I am aware that weather and season can affect laying, but to have the "production red" quit suddenly, and at the same time that others start has me a bit curious, almost concerned. Is there something I need to look out for?

 

[thebanthams]

Everythig you thinking is right, how much light are they getting? try putting golf balls in their nest.

 

[ChillyChicken]

I had a wooden egg in the nest for some time, but last week they tossed it out of the nest. I put it back in, and they tossed it out again. There are 2 nest boxes, so I alternated it, and they tossed it out again. I am not at this time supplementing the light, but with the freezing nighttime temperatures we have had over the past 2 weeks, I am planning to run a power cord out to the pen. Here in southern Oregon our current sunrise is just after 7 am and sunset at 6:30 pm, so with 11 hours of daylight I would think they shouldn't be overly affected by that yet. But who knows, they are chickens!

 

[thebanthams]

I had a wooden egg in the nest for some time, but last week they tossed it out of the nest. I put it back in, and they tossed it out again. There are 2 nest boxes, so I alternated it, and they tossed it out again. I am not at this time supplementing the light, but with the freezing nighttime temperatures we have had over the past 2 weeks, I am planning to run a power cord out to the pen. Here in southern Oregon our current sunrise is just after 7 am and sunset at 6:30 pm, so with 11 hours of daylight I would think they shouldn't be overly affected by that yet. But who knows, they are chickens!

I like to see them throw eggs at you !

 

[ChillyChicken]

I have also noticed several new dust bathing holes in the yard, some really deep. I have caught the hens and the mutt teenagers burying themselves in these holes, sometimes 2 or 3 birds in a hole. Considering the new enthusiasm they have for this activity I will purchase some DE for them when I go to town this week.
Is it possible that whatever is causing this enthusiasm might have the hens "off eggs"? Might it even be what has had them throwing the wooden egg out of the nest? Meanwhile, off to clean out the nest boxes and get fresh nesting material along with the new DE.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Once they get below 14 hours of light, egg laying can drop off pretty fast.

 

[ChillyChicken]

What I had thought the oddest is that the other hens started laying when the first stopped. That is the really neat thing about nature-- everyone/thing is different.

 

[thebanthams]

I have also noticed several new dust bathing holes in the yard, some really deep. I have caught the hens and the mutt teenagers burying themselves in these holes, sometimes 2 or 3 birds in a hole. Considering the new enthusiasm they have for this activity I will purchase some DE for them when I go to town this week.
Is it possible that whatever is causing this enthusiasm might have the hens "off eggs"? Might it even be what has had them throwing the wooden egg out of the nest? Meanwhile, off to clean out the nest boxes and get fresh nesting material along with the new DE.

has nothing to do with their eggs, they just want to be clean