Egg laying

[chicklet mcpoo]

Are anyone else's chickens not laying well in the last few months?? We are in northwest Indiana. Thanks.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Mine are still "under aged" ... Are they starting to molt? Weather changes, Fall is here, shorter days starting. Any changes in routine? Dynamics to the flock?

 

[ValerieJ]

Shorter days and molting are two reasons our girls stop laying, or at least lay less. I have 8 productive layers only giving me about an egg a day. They are at the end of their molt, but now it's cold and the days are shorter. I'll probably be buying eggs from the Happy Egg Farm until about March now.

 

[aart]

My 12 older birds are barely laying and the 2 pullets haven't started yet.

 

[Laurie Nordstrom]

We added an orphaned rooster to our 18 hens in June and our egg production went from 12-14 a day to 2-3. I know some are molting but we have never had such low production. Any comments?

 

[aart]

We added an orphaned rooster to our 18 hens in June and our egg production went from 12-14 a day to 2-3. I know some are molting but we have never had such low production. Any comments?

Did production drop immediately after adding male??
Do you free range?
How does the cock/erel treat the hens?

 

[Laurie Nordstrom]

I noticed it after he was added. He’s good to them. Doesn’t tear their feathers out like our last rooster did. No they are not free range but I do let hem out in the grass once a week or so

 

[aart]

I noticed it after he was added. He’s good to them. Doesn’t tear their feathers out like our last rooster did. No they are not free range but I do let hem out in the grass once a week or so

I dunno then<shrugs>.

 

[ValerieJ]

Who can know the mind of a chicken? I think the change put them off laying and then perhaps when they were settled in, Fall happened. That is molting time. Are they molting? And the days are shorter.

Another thought is, if they are free ranging, and now they have fertile eggs, perhaps they know that and are hiding them from you. I once found a dozen eggs in a perfectly formed nest made in a bale of straw I was storing under a tarp. LOL You might have several such spots.

 

[chicklet mcpoo]

We added an orphaned rooster to our 18 hens in June and our egg production went from 12-14 a day to 2-3. I know some are molting but we have never had such low production. Any comments?

Ours are not molting and we always supplement their light. We have about 17 girls and we were getting about 8 to 10 eggs a day. Then it was just like flipping a switch. Now we are lucky if we get 3 to 4. Some days nothing.