Egg Production Way Low

[Joyfillednomads]

Our hens are on strike since we cooped them up. We have had issues with predators and can't let them run willy nilly and completely free range. The egg production has dramatically decreased. And we expected decrease due to fall/winter, but we have supplements and scraps and all sorts of treats for these spoiled gals and they are rebellious.
There is a line for their favorite nesting box, like they take turns sitting on the same few eggs.

 

[Fallenone05]

How old are they?
Cooping them up isn't putting them on strike - the season is what's got them not laying. Less daylight hours means less eggs. Plus they might be molting depending on how old they are. I have 10 hens and am getting the average of 3 eggs a day, sometimes none at all.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

How old are they?
Cooping them up isn't putting them on strike - the season is what's got them not laying. Less daylight hours means less eggs. Plus they might be molting depending on how old they are. I have 10 hens and am getting the average of 3 eggs a day, sometimes none at all.

Yep, we do have some hens now who look ugly from their molting. Guess we need to give them artificial lights to keep them happy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yep, we do have some hens now who look ugly from their molting. Guess we need to give them artificial lights to keep them happy.

Well it's not their happiness that you're addressing. The lights simulate longer day length which stimulates laying. They still need to molt/finish molting so their feathers are in good condition to get through winter, so even if you start adding lights, don't expect production to kick back into gear quickly.

 

[Fallenone05]

Yep, we do have some hens now who look ugly from their molting. Guess we need to give them artificial lights to keep them happy.

IMHO depending on your chicken breeds, lights extend laying into winter but overall shortens their laying lifespan. Obviously, supplemental lighting is a choice for anyone to make. I let my birds take a break and molt so they lay longer just less in winter. If you have production breeds like sexlinks or something, they may shorten their lifespan as well as production breeds lay themselves to death and have a lot of health problems with their reproductive system as they get older.

It's up to you though in the long run! A lot of people use lights in the winter.

 

[topochico225]

scraps and all sorts of treats for these spoiled gals and they are rebellious.

Stop feeding them anything other than their feed; this is causing them to have an unbalanced diet and therefore have funky laying.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

IMHO depending on your chicken breeds, lights extend laying into winter but overall shortens their laying lifespan. Obviously, supplemental lighting is a choice for anyone to make. I let my birds take a break and molt so they lay longer just less in winter. If you have production breeds like sexlinks or something, they may shorten their lifespan as well as production breeds lay themselves to death and have a lot of health problems with their reproductive system as they get older.

It's up to you though in the long run! A lot of people use lights in the winter.

We've had just cloudy days that make it less light, in addition to losing daylight. Thanks

 

[Joyfillednomads]

Stop feeding them anything other than their feed; this is causing them to have an unbalanced diet and therefore have funky laying.

They get all sorts of things a variety that are good for them. We have excellent eggs. If anything we will add in protected grasses into the coop/run.
They certainly only get chicken safe stuff. I don't particularly like just pellets, because it's dead and I believe there is good stuff in fresh foods and nutritional benefits.
They even get French toast left overs when I make French toast, spoiled, but not fat.

 

[topochico225]

@Kiki

 

[Joyfillednomads]

How old are they?
Cooping them up isn't putting them on strike - the season is what's got them not laying. Less daylight hours means less eggs. Plus they might be molting depending on how old they are. I have 10 hens and am getting the average of 3 eggs a day, sometimes none at all.

This batch is mix but mostly one and a half.