Getting fewer eggs

[SueT]

Whether the chickens know their caretaker/your parents isn't the issue, they knew you disappeared, and you are very important to them. You'll have to see if they resume after things return to normal. It could be the heat, but it's really hot here and mine have not slowed down at all. I am leaving for a week next month, and my husband will care for my flock. We will find out if it makes a difference, as I give them a lot more attention than he does. Maybe it will turn out to be none of the above.....

 

[aart]

Any change in routine can throw them off, even if they 'know' the caretakers.

The heat can definitely be an issue...they need all the water they drink to cool off, it goes right thru them trying to shed body heat, not enough left over for making eggs.
Might try a dose of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes and vitamins...it helps mine in the heat.

Nest crowding...has this been an issue in the past?
How many birds, in how big a coop and run(in feet by feet), and how many nests???
Putting fake egg in all the nests can help 'spread the love'.
Do you free range at all?

 

[GrannyHeeney]

It's been raining and dismal here in SC for nearly a month and I was assuming my Barred Rock girls have slowed down because of it. So maybe the weather combined with Chicken Mama (me!) not being out with them as much?

 

[pintail_drake2004]

The nest crowding hasn't been an issue until lately. There are golf balls in the other nest boxes, but the girls only use 3 of the 4 boxes. Often times though, the 4 polish hens will lay their eggs on the coop floor in a corner. Our coop is 8'x12', with 600sqft attached run. There are 23 chickens (20 hens, 3 roosters) in total. We let them free range from 2-7:40pm daily. We try to collect the eggs 3x a day Sat-Tue, and as soon as I get home at 2pm the rest of the week.