Hardly any eggs in weeks! What could be the issue?

[dracoe19]

I have around 60 adult chickens at the moment and hardly anyone is laying eggs.... My main flock (egg layers only) have started laying again but not to their full extent. My wyandottes have barely given me eggs all summer and fall! I knew the heat was a huge factor with the summer because it was getting in the 100's but now it is cooling off and still barely anything! All of them are healthy, parasite free, have very large pens to roam in, clean feed, etc. Could they be lacking a vitamin? Is their a kind of food I can give them to boost production? Also all the hens are a 1-1.5 years except for 2 hens which are pushing 3.5-4 years. Whats surprising is the old hens lay more than the young ones! The young ones are "new" additions compared to the 3 years old but they have been here for a year now; 4 others for 3+ months. Any ideas what could be causing them not to lay as much?

 

[Kevin565]

Could they be molting? Reduction in daylight hours?

 

[dracoe19]

One or two were molting but it has been so drawn out that I would think it would be something else. Possibly the reduction in day light hours. How long do you think will it take for them to get used to the new hours?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

They may not increase their rate of lay until the days start getting longer in the spring. You could add a light on a timer in the coop to add a couple of hours of light if you want more eggs.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I am having the same problem, and it was instantaneous. I have 11 girls laying, and we were getting 8-9 a day until about 5 days ago, then all of a sudden we have just been getting 3-4. Everyone's healthy and less than a year old, I thought first year layers were supposed to lay well throughout their first winter? I've been looking for days too and I don't think they're laying somewhere else, they really have just stopped overnight...Wish I knew what to do, we're going to try giving them a few extra hours of artificial light and see if that helps. It has been really cloudy and rainy around here for the past week besides the days getting shorter so maybe that's the problem...

 

[wolfbayfarm]

I am having the same problem here in the Florida Panhandle. I have about 20 hens and they stopped laying about two months ago or maybe more. They are free range except at night and I feed and water them.Seem healthy all of them including my five khaki campbell ducks. They are not laying either. Finally started to get two eggs a day since last week. My hens are not quite two years old and my rooster doesn't crow anymore either. Maybe he's getting up there in age( over 5 years,inherited him) and just doesn't have it anymore I talked to two different people in feed stores today and they are having the same issue. I am just wondering about all this weird weather and climate change we are having if it affects the stock. I have pears trees that are bearing fruit now and plum and pear trees with blooms now. Any input out there on this theory? We have had chickens for four years and this is definetly the strangest year.

 

[dracoe19]

Everyone I have talked to except maybe 2 or 3 people have had extremely low to no production... I really think it is the weather now. I really hope we don't have another year like this one again. Hoping they will adjust soon to the changes.

 

[nakstk]

My 5 SS hens are molting right now, so I know that is part of the issue with my girls. I think shorter daylight hours is a big factor for most chickens.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Mine have had this big decrease since about Monday. I had been getting about 3 from 11 girls but yesterday I got 4 so maybe they will adjust slowly...it's not good news but I'm glad it's not just me

 

[mickey328]

The shorter days trigger a slowing of egg production in anticipation of leaner times. During winter, food (in nature) is less abundant and the chickens need more of it to maintain their own health, so egg production slows. Our 6 aren't molting, but over the course of the last 2 or 3 weeks, our average has dropped from about 5 a day to about 4 a day. We could likely bring it back up if we put a light in their coop, but since the eggs are just for us, we see no reason to...we don't eat 3 a day so we still get more than we need I think making sure they have extra protein can help boost it a bit, so ours get something pretty much every day...yogurt, cheese, cooked beans, meat...they go nuts for it all.