Help, Not sure what to do?

[KupoChickenRaiser]

So we got a group of four hens and a rooster in september and they laid fine for a few days. Were even laying in the car before we got them home. We bought a premix food with oyster shell and started them on that. After about a week of 3-4 eggs a day. NOTHING. it just stopped. They have an enclosed pen and can't get out, we clipped their wings to be sure. They have an enclosed coop and are closed in at night. It's been cold but it was just as cold and dark during the day when we got them. A few weeks ago we added 4 cuckoo maran hens and one maran rooster and got 3 eggs the next day. Then they stopped. The first set of chickens were swollen and stopped up, we switched to a nutrena layer feed and they swelling went down and went away all together. They seem to be eating great very active and lively, no unusual or off poo. Wattles and combs are all bright and pretty. They seem perfectly healthy and so far no signs of molting. So what's up? I'm confused. Any suggestions? I'm getting about 30 new chickens here in the next few weeks (day old chicks from mcmurray) and I want to make sure everything is okay before hand.

Help help help!

 

[tfpets]

I'm just putting this out there - but have you considered that they are eating their own eggs? It's a nasty habit, and when chickens you think wouldnt do that start seeing a habitual egg eater chomping away, they may all start joining in. You have the potential, if it's not just one really naughty chicken, to have a flock of them!
When you got the adult birds - was there a particular reason they were being sold, or was it an arrangement you made or sought out? Sometimes a less scrupulous person will knowingly sell an egg eater in a group of birds to get rid of it, if they arent inclined to cull it.
Also, moulting will stop egg production - or egg loss can be due to an unknown thief, perhaps a rodent such as a skunk....it really depends...
I think the Game Cameras are really cool, to see what is going on when I'm not home - I'm going to get a few!
Hope you figure out your situation.........Best of luck.

 

[ranchhand]

Snakes stealing eggs? Laying somewhere you can't see the eggs?

 

[KupoChickenRaiser]

We see no shells or anything egg like of any kind and I don't know of any section of the coop that anything could get it, it's floor to ceiling and concreted on the bottom. I suppose it's possible but I doubt the egg eater scenario. As for why the chickens were being sold we deal with local chicken raisers who get stock and sell them. They usually end up with chickens from McMurray and they aren't in the business of getting eggs they find it more beneficial to sell the chickens or they simply don't want that many. It's all dependent circumstances but all are reputable people in the local area. There is nowhere I can think of that they could even possibly lay and egg where we couldn't see it. Even so we've searched their pen high and low and no sign of eggs at all.

Tonight we took a ceramic egg and put it under one of the hens and she took to it with ease. Sat right down on it. I've heard this can help and perhaps we were removing the eggs to quickly from the pen.

EDIT: We also have two guineas to keep away predators and they get along just fine with the chickens.