Egg Production WAY down

[montana girl]

I have tried everything. Its as if they are on strike! I have had chickens for several years now and have always kept my girls happily laying during the winter. This year though, even with lights, I am getting next to nothing.

From 13 hens I am getting a egg or two a day.

Does anyone have any idea?

I am feeding the layena.. they have plenty of water, they get crushed egg shells for calcium.

I have tried the light so that they have 16 hour days.. and have also tried leaving it on 24/7.

Could it be weather related?

Advice is much appreciated.

 

[cybercat]

Feed Flock Raiser it has better protien at 20% and that is what hens need to lay. 16 precent layena is not enough. You can feed both which will bring protien to about 18% which is good.

 

[rdranch]

Are any of them moulting? It's common for pullets to do that this time of year. Just give them what they need and leave the rest up to them. I promise they will do their best!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm getting 1-2 eggs a day from 6 hens.

My buttercup is molting really bad, so I just switched their feed to Flockraiser to give her more protein to get over the molt. It will be interesting to see if it bumps egg production in the others as well. I also decided to keep an excel spreadsheet to see which of the breeds I have do the best for winter laying. I know which hen all my eggs come from, they each have their own unique shape, color, speckles, etc.

I may keep them on Flockraiser, depending on how they do. I'm currently giving them feed that has oyster shell and bits of corn in it, and a lot gets wasted as they dig for the corn. So if the Flockraiser doesn't get wasted, I might keep them on it. (and keeping the oyster shell available)

 

[montana girl]

Flock raiser... got it! I am going to give it a try. Its just odd because I have never had the problem before.

Yep a couple have moutled, but most of them did that in late October.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[gottalovemychickens]

Wow im getting 100% of my eggs everyday

And thats with lows of teens and snow

 

[Frog]

12 mature hens, 1 happy rooster and 2 ducks....but no eggs! I am experiencing a similar situation as the first postee....we had quite a bit of rain recently. I have never had such low production no matter the weather. I have even been adding millet to the feed to up the protein. (and they really like it!) but to no avail. Aaaahhh....

 

[Roy]

Have 30 hens, been getting 16 to 18 a day since November. 25 to 28 in spring summer and fall

 

[cybercat]

Frog millet will not up your protien. I would try something else instead. Millets protien is only 4g to 1/2 cup. So if you are adding that to a low protien feed it is lowing it more.

 

[lane-h]

I haven't gotten an egg from my 3 easter eggers for 2 weeks now. My buffs on the other hand are like machines. 4 buff hens and I get 3 - 4 eggs a day from them.