Getting way fewer eggs, about half normal!

[trunkman]

I've been averaging 3 to 4 eggs a day from 6 hens, for a week now I've been getting 1 or 2 eggs a day at most.
I moved my 4 week old chicks to the coop last week and that's when I noticed the drop in production, can putting such small chicks in a coop with the older hens make them slow their production that much, seems to me such small creatures wouldn't effect them that much, could it be that the brooder light is effecting them? I don't dare shut the brooder light off at night quite just yet because the temps here still get to the mid 40's at night. What do you all think?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Maybe human preditors?


My girls are use to chicks being added to the coop, so I do not see a slow down then. But I put my chicks out after they no longer need the extra heat.

 

[b.hromada]

I don't know the reason why the drop in production, but mine have been doing the same here. Its been like 3 weeks or more. They did this last year as well.

I don't notice much in the way of moulting really.

 

[nsanywhere]

yup, drop in eggs here too. My best guess is spring. Its a time when they go broody, raise babies and molt, so I expect fewer eggs for another month. By late May we should be back to normal.