Help me solve the riddle

[EMS83]

I have 31 hens. Three are older, the rest hatched last March/April, and this is their first season laying.

For a while I was getting 15-20 eggs/day. But for the past 2-3, production dropped to maybe 8-10/day, and half of those were broken or eaten.

During that time, one of my black australorps started camping in the nest box. I couldn't tell if she was broody or the egg eater. So a few days ago, I finally separated her into a tiny coop I have in the run. So now I have no broken eggs in the main coop, but I’m getting 4-6. Today, none by 2 pm. I’ll check again soon. The separated hen either hasn’t laid or has eaten her egg each day.

No obvious signs of illness in either her or the rest of the flock. Do I have a snake? Do they have worms? Did our Memorial Day tornadic storm throw them off their lay (tho that wouldn’t explain the week or two before that).

Edit: Also I found out today that one hen “vomits” water whenever he picks her up. She’s one of the smaller ones. He’s 16. He says he doesn’t squeeze her crop, and the liquid doesn’t smell. I have no idea if or how that would be tied to the egg mystery.
And I’ll say we have two nesting boxes. I googled just now and it seems like we need 7-8! I heard they usually crowd even with choices. Does anything else about our situation sound like it needs addressing?

Input welcome!

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you have a hidden nest. People always say, "they couldn't possibly have one" but they very often do so.

The sick one I would separate, and possibly cull.

If the BA lays flat in the nest like a pancake, or puffs up and growls at you, she is broody. Often times, the first few days, she is kind of sort of broody, but kind of not. By day 3, it should be full on broody.

Hope that helps.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

And I’ll say we have two nesting boxes. I googled just now and it seems like we need 7-8!

Yes, you do.
Wondering how big the coop is, in feet bu feet.
What all and how exactly you are feeding them??

 

[EMS83]

Coop is 8x8, run is 25x25. They’re only closed up at night.

Faithway 22% layer pellets and kitchen/garden scraps.

 

[aart]

Coop is 8x8

That's pretty tight quarters for 31 birds.
Stress could be an issue here.

 

[EMS83]

That's pretty tight quarters for 31 birds.
Stress could be an issue here.

They just roost in the coop. They spend the day in the 25x25 run. Would stress pop up suddenly like that?

 

[EMS83]

Ok, they now have 2 waterers, 5 feed pans, and 8 nesting boxes. Last week we were getting up to two eggs per day, but yesterday we got 6 eggs, and today we've gotten 8 so far.