Egg production

[68camaro]

I have 41 egg layers of age.
I have 16 golden commets
10 Buff Orpingtons
11 Black Australorp
4 Golden Laced Wyondots


I am only getting 26 to 30 eggs a day. Should I be getting more?
They are in protected area and let out to free range all day. I feed Layer pellets add clam shell to the food. 2 times a day I feed them 3 butter bowls of scratch grain plus the occasional other treats.
Any help greatly appreciated. I have even installed 2 heat lamps on timers to get the extra daylight.
Located in SE Indiana.

 

[Judy]

I would offer the clam shell separately. Most will probably not be interested as the layer feed has enough calcium. I would also not give that much scratch. Layer often does not have a very high protein content, anyway, and these additions to their diet decrease their protein intake. It is said that too much protein can decrease rate of lay, but presumably too little protein would do the same.

That said, you may never get more eggs than you do now, or at least, especially this time of year. They lay their best in spring and summer -- and if summers are quite hot, that may cut down on production, too. Wyandottes and Orpingtons are typically not as productive in a given week or year as Golden Comets or Australorps. Per lifetime, though, I don't think there is much variation. Some hens lay for a lot more years than others.

The egg cycle is such that 6 eggs a week from one hen is excellent production. All sorts of things can decrease that, such as stresses of most any kind.

 

[donrae]

Have you searched for hidden nests?

 

[aart]

I would offer the clam shell separately. Most will probably not be interested as the layer feed has enough calcium. I would also not give that much scratch. Layer often does not have a very high protein content, anyway, and these additions to their diet decrease their protein intake. It is said that too much protein can decrease rate of lay, but presumably too little protein would do the same.

That said, you may never get more eggs than you do now, or at least, especially this time of year. They lay their best in spring and summer -- and if summers are quite hot, that may cut down on production, too. Wyandottes and Orpingtons are typically not as productive in a given week or year as Golden Comets or Australorps. Per lifetime, though, I don't think there is much variation. Some hens lay for a lot more years than others.

The egg cycle is such that 6 eggs a week from one hen is excellent production. All sorts of things can decrease that, such as stresses of most any kind.

Ditto Dat^^^^

Have you searched for hidden nests?

Ditto Dat Too^^^

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have 41 egg layers of age.
I have 16 golden commets
10 Buff Orpingtons
11 Black Australorp
4 Golden Laced Wyondots


I am only getting 26 to 30 eggs a day. Should I be getting more?
They are in protected area and let out to free range all day. I feed Layer pellets add clam shell to the food. 2 times a day I feed them 3 butter bowls of scratch grain plus the occasional other treats.
Any help greatly appreciated. I have even installed 2 heat lamps on timers to get the extra daylight.
Located in SE Indiana.

Judy nailed things thus far - but I also wanted to address this -- get the heat lamps out of there. This time of year the light is more than sufficient for production and even when light is needed it is light, not heat - heat lamps are not of the spectrum that is needed to add light to their day *and* more importantly, the increased heat is far from needed, especially this time of year. If anything, increasing the heat like that is likely to stress the birds and cause production to drop, not increase.

 

[68camaro]

Yes no nests

 

[68camaro]

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[68camaro]

Thank you.