How Does Heat/Stress Effect Egg Production?

[Onyxdog86]

Hello all! Hopefully, I will be able to phrase my question correctly. These are my first hens. I have six hens, and I regularly get about 4-5 eggs per day. About a week ago there was a pretty dramatic jump in the outside temperature. It jumped from about the low eighties to the mid to high nineties, and stayed that way for about three or four days. Yesterday and today it dropped back down to the low eighties. Egg production was steady throughout that heat. Three days ago we got 5 eggs. Two days ago we got six eggs. But then, yesterday we only got three, and today only two.

My question is... how many days after the initial cause of stress can egg production be affected? So, if your flock got really stressed out today by extreme heat or a lurking predator, when would you see egg production start to drop? Tomorrow? Three days from now?

I hope that makes sense! Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Any stress can drop production; timing varies, and duration. Heat is a very big issue; they need cold water, shade, maybe a fan, misting over the coop roof, whatever works to help in the heat. A scary event will also be a problem, or something like mites or lice on the birds. Mary

 

[Onyxdog86]

Thank you for your response! I had already taken measures to help them in this heat. Fresh cold water, frozen water bottles, LOTS of shade, etc.

I guess what I am wondering is... can the heat wave from last week affect the number of eggs I get several days after the fact?

 

[kmartinez]

I agree with heat, my ladies layed and then it got so hot for a couple days , the day after i got good eggs , the day after that i got one, then nothing. So i got a misting system at home depot for 24 bux..which is cheaper than amazon cause its the 22 foot system. I wire tied it up and the egg production got better. I also freeze gatorade bottles the small ones (since my teens use them often) and put them in their waterers. it has helped my ladies out