getting aggrivated with my hens

[chickabator]

I have over 70 hens and today we got 11 eggs!!! I am so aggrivated right now I cant stand it. they are acting like they are starving to death and they eat very very well, I dont know if it is the feed or what. none of them are sick just no eggs. I am just about ready to quit and get rid of all of them!!! why wont they lay. I gave them vitamin water today tomorrow I am going to worm if it dont help then I am getting rid of all of them.

 

[gritsar]

How old are they and what exactly are you feeding them?


I got zero eggs from 13 hens yesterday and I feel lucky to have gotten two today. My hens are molting. It's the right time of year and they're at the right age (17+ months) for it.

 

[chickabator]

they range form 7 months to 1 1/2 years old. they eat 20% layer rations with a yard mix in the evening. every one of them were laying till about 3 weeks ago. my barred rocks have not laid an egg in 3 weeks! my black copper marans are laying 1 egg a week now the delawares we might get an egg a day the EE's we got 2 eggs from today, my rhode island red we got 2 eggs from today and the leghorns we got 7.

 

[beckychick]

Take some BBQ Sauce out there and maybe they will get the hint.

 

[gritsar]

Any free ranging? Seems like one hen creates a hidden nest and gives her sisters bad advice.

 

[chickabator]

no they do not get to free range they are in their own pens and have plenty of room they all have runs where they can get sun and run around and play. I just don't understand it. I do on the EE's they are molting the reds are coming out of a molt they are my oldest chickens besides my white leghorns 1 1/2 the delawares, bc marans and white rocks just started laying about 3 months ago. I just dont understand it.

 

[eastbaychicks]

I vote for the BBQ sauce and a huge group therapy session.

 

[the simple life]

Is it possible you have egg eaters?
Same thing happened to me once, we had a sharp drop in eggs all of a sudden.
I would never believe it since I thought they were getting everything they need, free range all day, purina layena, yogurt and endless water etc.
I could not understand why they would do turn to egg eaters unless they were bored or something even with free ranging.
I would see a hen on the next box and when I would check later there would be no eggs in the box.
Then I found a piece of an egg and knew I had a problem.
I staked out the coop and watched for anyone with eggs on their beaks since I could never actually catch one doing it.
Found two that way.
I seperated them from the flock, fed them extra protein and calcium, put golf balls and round rocks in the boxes so they would try and peck them instead and maybe they would find it unappealing, anything that was recommended here on the forum to break them of.
I thought they were all set and returned them to the coop.
My husband walked into the coop one day after that and caught the two of them actually eating eggs.
They went to auction.
It may be anything ,sometimes its just a change in their routine, their surroundings, or their food etc. that causes stress and then a drop in egg production but if you are not getting any eggs at all I seriously suspect egg eaters.

 

[Troyerbuilding]

I would freak out if I had that many hens with so little eggs.

I only have four for now, just getting the taste of it. For the majority of the week I have been getting one egg a day! That concerns me, but I am also illiterate on chicken behavior.

Interested to see what help you get.

 

[chickabator]

I do suspect one in my rhode island red pen we have found egg shells for the past 2 days no egg just peices of the shell but all the other chickens are in their own seperate pens and runs. Im gonna go give them some more oyster shell in a few minutes.