Egg production declining?!

[GC-Raptor]

Check your feed.
I had a drastic reduction in egg production last month. From 6/7 a week for each of the layers to 3/4.
I checked the feed . It looked good, was not damp or look moldy. I took a whiff, whoa. It had a strong smell.
I bought some fresh feed, opened the bag and it had a fresh grainy smell.
I emptied the feeder and washed with soap and water, dried thoroughly. Refilled with fresh feed.
In two days eggs were coming daily.
I only have 3 hens, lost 2 earlier this year. The old feed in the 40# bag had a strong smell too. It was kept in my house and I only scooped out enough feed to half fill a 12# feeder once a week.
The feed was 5 months 1 week past mill date.
I have changed from a 18% layers feed to a Non-Medicated 18% Start & Grow feed, because I can get a 25# bag that's fresh and will get used up in about 7 weeks.
I switched to the new feed Memorial day and still getting 6/7 eggs a week from each layer and the egg shells are strong. I have a separate container of Oyster Shells available for the Calcium.
So in my experience with one bag of feed stored in my house at room temperature and low humidity goes bad around 5 months. I never had feed past 5 months old before. So in my opinion. Feed stored outside in a shed, barn or coop with fluctuating temps and humidity will not last nearly as long. GC

 

[DatCrazyChickenLady]

A chicken produces eggs in response to nature. The biggest thing that you can do to increase your egg production is to change your chicken breed or breeds to something like a White Leghorn. These hens have had the desire to sit or hatch eggs bred out of them, this should result in a 100 or more eggs in each of the first two years of a hens' life.

Next, the 20th of June was the Summer solstice and every day between the 20th of June and the 20th of December 2018 there will be less and less daylight. Hens (and roosters too) are hard wired into their environment and they produce eggs and increased amounts of semen because of the need to have baby chickens to make up the loses that predators produce. The optimum time of year for a chicken to hatch chicks is in the Spring when predation is lower and when food is more plentiful. Chickens have evolved to lay more eggs in the spring time then shed their old feathers in the Summer or Fall months and grow a new set of duds in time for winter.

Hens NATURALLY lay better when they have 14 hours or more of daylight and they NATURALLY lay less when the daylight hours are waning. This is why you are getting fewer eggs now. The temperature is far far down the scale of reasons for reduced egg production. I hope this helps.

Ok thanks!

 

[DatCrazyChickenLady]

Check your feed.
I had a drastic reduction in egg production last month. From 6/7 a week for each of the layers to 3/4.
I checked the feedView attachment 1442215. It looked good, was not damp or look moldy. I took a whiff, whoa. It had a strong smell.
I bought some fresh feed, opened the bag and it had a fresh grainy smell.
I emptied the feeder and washed with soap and water, dried thoroughly. Refilled with fresh feed.
In two days eggs were coming daily.
I only have 3 hens, lost 2 earlier this year. The old feed in the 40# bag had a strong smell too. It was kept in my house and I only scooped out enough feed to half fill a 12# feeder once a week.
The feed was 5 months 1 week past mill date.
I have changed from a 18% layers feed to a Non-Medicated 18% Start & Grow feed, because I can get a 25# bag that's fresh and will get used up in about 7 weeks.
I switched to the new feed Memorial day and still getting 6/7 eggs a week from each layer and the egg shells are strong. I have a separate container of Oyster Shells available for the Calcium.
So in my experience with one bag of feed stored in my house at room temperature and low humidity goes bad around 5 months. I never had feed past 5 months old before. So in my opinion. Feed stored outside in a shed, barn or coop with fluctuating temps and humidity will not last nearly as long. GC

Ok! I’ll check that

 

[DatCrazyChickenLady]

How old?
Even if well 'trained', changes can make the change their habits.
How and when was the one bird 'lost'?
If it's gotten really hot in the coop and nests they may seek a cooler place to lay.
Or the heat could have put them off laying.

The one chicken disappeared about 3-4 weeks ago. We think she may not have made it junto the coop before the door closed.

It would make sense if they started laying somewhere else bacias of that, it is pretty steamy in the coop.