Egg producing dropped to under 50%.

[IHC986]

The egg production in my flock of twenty Red Sex Links has fallen to under 50% over the last 3-6 weeks. Early in the summer, daily egg production was 98-99%. Birds are about a year old. They are watered daily and their feeders are filled as needed. I give them a quart of scratch every morning. Sometimes, I'll toss left-over vegetables and table craps over the fence. They are fed laying pellets and I do NOT change brands. Every now and then, I toss ground oyster shells over the fence. They have a hen house and a fenced in area about the size of a basketball court in which they run around. Some of them are missing feathers in the area of where their tail bone should be. ( I can see skin, however, there are no scabs nor is there blood or bleeding. Some of their poop is runny and some is not. They seem to me, to be happy and appear to be healthy as far as I can tell. Could some of you experienced hen owners offer a reason for the drop in egg numbers AND offer me suggestions to get my girls back into the business of laying eggs?

 

[keesmom]

If some are losing feathers I would guess they are beginning a molt. If so you will have to wait until they are done to get egg production back up.

 

[IHC986]

Should I smear some neosporin, or, other antibotic/soothing creme/salve on the bare skin?