Ok, so I am not exactly a newbie to the world of chickens, but sometimes an issue comes up that I just cannot figure out...
After a pretty rough winter in the egg laying business my girls hit the floor running this spring and have been awesome egg layers, After selling some of the new layers I settled into 8-9 eggs a day from my 10 girls... My Java went broody in March and hatched out some chicks and all seemed well... She went broody again two weeks ago and since she did such a fabulous job eating and drinking and getting her exercise while brooding I have allowed her to do it again... She is much more determined this time, but hey.. she knows what she is doing, were on the final stretch with her, chicks expected on the 22nd... One week after she decided to be a momma again my Ancona decided to join in the fun which totally surprised me, she is a breed that isn't supposed to want to do this but alas, I stuck a few eggs under her and am letting her go.. She is on day 7 today and doing great in the coop..
Now to my problem.. I was still getting between 5-7 eggs a day but the last 3 days I am lucky to get 4...3 seems to be the norm.. I have two hens that will go in and sit but after an hour get up and leave without laying...I have walked the property and no eggs can be found nor hens missing, they do not jump the fence etc... I have a whole mess of new pullets that are going to start laying any day, I can expect to see them in and out and around for the next month as they wont all start on the same day.. I am suspecting my BA is thinking about raising a clutch, it was at this time last year that she went broody but would that cause the others to quit also?? All my older girls went through a pretty hard molt over the winter and egg production just picked up in February, I really wasn't expecting such a slow down so early in the season.. It seems the quitters are my 3 BA's and my 2EE's... If I get one egg from the whole lot everyday I am surprised.
I'm stumped, I sell hatching eggs and have had to let a few folks know I am unable to fulfill their orders ( small orders 6-10 eggs)
After a pretty rough winter in the egg laying business my girls hit the floor running this spring and have been awesome egg layers, After selling some of the new layers I settled into 8-9 eggs a day from my 10 girls... My Java went broody in March and hatched out some chicks and all seemed well... She went broody again two weeks ago and since she did such a fabulous job eating and drinking and getting her exercise while brooding I have allowed her to do it again... She is much more determined this time, but hey.. she knows what she is doing, were on the final stretch with her, chicks expected on the 22nd... One week after she decided to be a momma again my Ancona decided to join in the fun which totally surprised me, she is a breed that isn't supposed to want to do this but alas, I stuck a few eggs under her and am letting her go.. She is on day 7 today and doing great in the coop..
Now to my problem.. I was still getting between 5-7 eggs a day but the last 3 days I am lucky to get 4...3 seems to be the norm.. I have two hens that will go in and sit but after an hour get up and leave without laying...I have walked the property and no eggs can be found nor hens missing, they do not jump the fence etc... I have a whole mess of new pullets that are going to start laying any day, I can expect to see them in and out and around for the next month as they wont all start on the same day.. I am suspecting my BA is thinking about raising a clutch, it was at this time last year that she went broody but would that cause the others to quit also?? All my older girls went through a pretty hard molt over the winter and egg production just picked up in February, I really wasn't expecting such a slow down so early in the season.. It seems the quitters are my 3 BA's and my 2EE's... If I get one egg from the whole lot everyday I am surprised.
I'm stumped, I sell hatching eggs and have had to let a few folks know I am unable to fulfill their orders ( small orders 6-10 eggs)
