Hot weather and egglaying

[LazyGirl]

How hot does it need to get for them to stop laying? We are in MI, and the temps are fluctuating every couple days between 70-80. I have 24 layers, and am only getting 12-15 eggs. They are all pullets and were laying almost 2x that a few weeks ago. I can't figure it out! Yes, they do lay eggs elswhere, but I know of 3 nests, and search daily for others.
Also, is there any way to encourage them further to lay in the coop? At this point, I would assume locking them in for a week would be detrimental to laying???

 

[arlee453]

Lock them in until they find 'new' (read: human provided & approved) place to lay their eggs.

I have a pen for my girls but let them roam aound the larger fenced in area also (about an acre) in the evenings. I wait to let them out of the pen until around 5pm since most of them have laid by then.

I also have seen a drop in egg productcion since it got hot here. It's been above 85 degrees for the past 6-8 weeks and I have 20 hens and am only getting about 10 eggs per day. Of course, 4 of them are silkies, so they probably shouldn't count. I only get about 4 silkie eggs a WEEK.

 

[WrenAli]

I only have 2 laying hens but we have has temps from 85 to 100 for the last 2 weeks or so. I still get 2 eggs a day. So I can't help you.

I know pullets can lay and then quit for a while though.

 

[ashyannehand]

I had 6 hens last year that I had no problems with laying throughout the summer. I am in hot south Mississippi. Out temps in the summer are anywhere from 90-105 and 80-100% humity. All of those hens were killed by a neighbors dog. Now I have 11 hens and one roo. The hens have just began to lay and I am getting about 2 eggs a day now, but they have just started. Maybe they are affected when the weather changes rapidly? Our heat is a gradual thing starting in March and lasting until October. We have very long and hot summers. Dog days my grandma calls them!

 

[LazyGirl]

That may be. It's not super hot here, but the temps fluctuate like crazy. It can be 50 one day and 90 the next. And that's what's been happening for a few weeks. Because today was a lot hotter than yesterday, and they layed more today. Strange.
Thanks!