HELP!

[zazala]

Hi,

we have 8 chickens in miami fl...we let them out every day and they go back into coop at night. They have been laying 6-8 eggs daily for exactly a year now. but recently we are not getting any eggs. we dont know if they are laying them somewhere else or what is going on. we also found broken eggs in their cage. like they are eating them. we cleaned that up and today i found one broken egg and thats it. Does anyone have any tips? could they need calcium? what should we give them? could they be laying them outside? if so, how do we find out where? also, are they eating them? i dont see 7 eggs broken just one or two....i dont know what is happening or what to do please help.

 

[Tookie]

What are you feeding them? How old are they? What breeds?
They may very well be egg eaters.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hi,

we have 8 chickens in miami fl...we let them out every day and they go back into coop at night. They have been laying 6-8 eggs daily for exactly a year now. but recently we are not getting any eggs. we dont know if they are laying them somewhere else or what is going on. we also found broken eggs in their cage. like they are eating them. we cleaned that up and today i found one broken egg and thats it. Does anyone have any tips? could they need calcium? what should we give them? could they be laying them outside? if so, how do we find out where? also, are they eating them? i dont see 7 eggs broken just one or two....i dont know what is happening or what to do please help.

They could have a secret nest. You could have an egg eater. You might also have a clumsy hen who breaks eggs accidentally. Once that happens, chickens will eat them up.

If they are laying outside, you'll probably have to observe them for a while to see where they go. If you suspect an egg eater, you can sit and watch them, yoo. Wait for the egg song, and see who goes in after. If you have an egg eater, I suggest investing in roll away nest boxes as that's a difficult habit to break. If your hens are clumsy, consider changing or adding nesting material, and collect eggs more frequently throughout the day. Also, making sure you have enough boxes can help with clumsy hens, too.

 

[Duckduckchicken32]

I don’t think I could be of much help, but welcome to BYC!

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Definitely gather more often. At that age they may be going through a molt. Mine that started laying this time last year are molting. I got zero eggs yesterday, it was also the first major snow. The days are shorter now as well.

 

[mydaisy]

Are they going through a molt? Chickens generally lay great thru their first winter, but during their first hard molt they slow down quite a bit. Also, there is less light this time of year, which lowers production as well.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

How was the gathering today? Did any get munched on?