Free range chickens and neighbors feeding them.

[TravisO]

About a month ago our egg production went from 6 or so eggs a day to 2. We have over a dozen laying chickens of different species. We started allowing them to free range 2 months before the eggs production decrease. Today we caught our neighbors feeding them with a dish of food and a box beside it. Is it possible our chickens are now laying for them and that's why our egg production went down? I should note that at least the one eggs of the two laid per day is coming from the Seabright.

 

[Pork Pie]

I would doubt (although its not impossible) that your birds are laying in your neighbour's place as they tend to prefer a place that they know to be safe and secure - i.e. their coop.

It may be more likely that they are filling up on the feed from your neighbour and not eating as much food from your feeding stations, that i assume will be layers feed or have optional calcium available to them. A loss in calcium can stall egg laying. That would be my primary theory, in your situation.

Maybe you could explain to your neighbours the implications of them feeding your birds and ask them to stop doing so? You may see an improvement after a week or so, I would hope.

CT

 

[appps]

Easy to check. Lock them up for a day or two in their run and see what you end up with in your nest box.

It's possible they are laying somewhere other than your neighbours too. It isn't going to hurt to remind them for a day or two where their nest box is. We stayed at a bed and breakfast once that free ranged their large flock and the owner was saying they had had to start only letting them out after about lunchtime otherwise they laid in the adjacent paddock instead of the nest box and they end up with very few eggs.