how do you tell who isn't laying?

[slackwater]

My laying-age flock consists of 2NH, 2BSL and 6RIR. The BSL and RIR are all 1yr old or less, so I expect them to be laying regularly. The NH - I bought them at the fair last September, and don't have any idea how old they are. They were fairly well filled-out when I bought them, so definitely not pullets.

I get 8 eggs routinely, sometimes 9, rarely 10. Occasionally, I get an egg that looks like it took two days to make - its like two halves, glued together in the middle (it's thicker in the middle, too). I'm wondering if the NH aren't in their second, or maybe even 3rd year, of laying, and have slowed down - which would explain the sporadic-ness.

Or...is it normal to get an average of 8 eggs/day, year round, from that combination of breeds of laying-age hens?

If I should expect (or hope for) more, then how do I figure out who isn't laying? They all look pretty pink in the combs.

Thoughts?

 

[SkyWarrior]

You have 10 layers and you're getting 8-10 eggs a day? That's very good. The average you can expect out of top producers is 6 eggs a week per chicken, which sounds like you're right on.

As long as your production doesn't slip to 6 eggs or so average a day, I don't think you have much to worry about. But when they don't lay, their vents will be shriveled and their combs will be lackluster.

 

[slackwater]

SkyWarrior - thanks for the feedback. I had chickens "way back when" but never paid attention to how many eggs I got per chicken per day. I guess I just wasn't sure how far to take the "egg a day" laying frequency for "high-volume" breeds.

So...instead of having 8 that lay daily and two that don't, it's more likely that I have one or two that take a break every day, but that identity of those hens varies from day to day?

 

[tuesdays chicks]

i have 1 bo that lays 2 days 1 day off then lays 2 days last week she layed 3 days and then 1 day off with another 3 eggs, on the average its usually the 2 -1, so 5 eggs a week. I think even the everyday layers have a day off every so often.

 

[rcentner]

Hens that haven't laid in a while will have a pale looking cloacal area, if they are laying they will have a more red apperance.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Most likely. You can check their vents, but as I said, it's more likely your hens take a break once a week to recharge. It's pretty common, actually. You can take a look down there and if your chickens have large and moist vents, they're probably laying pretty well.