Egg production

[devoted]

Hello,

I'm trying to find ways to get my chickens egg production up. I've given them ample laying feed, supplemented with omega sups, given scratch grains and a flock block, plenty of fresh water, oyster shells mixed in with feed, and they free range most all day. Is there anything else I can try? I have 10 hens and get about two eggs per day. Hens are in prime laying years and do well in the summer.

 

[birdonerous]

Sounds like you are doing everything right, sometimes you have to wait You can try adding light to the coop if you are inclined to do so. I've had luck giving them a mash of milk, cornmeal, and wheat germ... it can kick them into gear. Good luck!

 

[The Chickeneer]

Wow, it sounds like your are doing almost everything. There is a reason though, why chickens slow down on laying during winter, it's because of the lighting. The days are shorter in the winter and there isn't as much light as there is in summer. Nature has done this to make sure chickens lay more eggs when they think that the chicks will be able to survive, and usually chicks don't survive the cold winters in the wild and that's why chickens lay more eggs in the summer.You might want to put a light in the coop and have it on a timer to turn on early in the mornings. More light in the day stimulates their egg laying hormones, and you shall see more eggs.

Also

 

[CayugaLover]

welcome to BackYardChickens!!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

In addition to what Chickeneer said, be careful to not oversupplement your birds, it can unbalance their diet, in particular improper cacium to phosphorus ratio and inadequate vitamin and mineral amounts.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, devoted, and

! Happy you joined our flock! Sounds like you are doing all the proper things. Winter isn't prime laying time but they will pick up in the spring. Best of luck to you!

 

[liz9910]

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us!

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[myyardgirls]

I have a question, we have 4 girls in our flock, 2 rhode island reds, and 2 auracannas.. the 2 auracannas have been with us about a year and were already laying when we got them. they've been great egg producers until just recently. about 10 days ago, one of the aruacannas layed a couple of really large eggs for consecutive days, then...nothing. just wondering what we should or could do? not sure how old she was when we got her, but she had been laying when we got her...I'm open to all suggestions. She's a real part of our group, and wonder why she's stop producing eggs?