How many eggs are too many?

[Qualara]

Lately my girls have been laying like crazy, I only have 4 laying hens at the moment, the rest are babies. I got 7 eggs this morning from 4 chickens. I think it's too many for them to be laying at any given day, I don't want one to get a prolapsed vent. All the eegs have rock hard shells, the birds are healthy and their vents all look fine. Is there ways on slowing down my girls laying at all?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm not sure it's possible to get seven eggs from four chickens in one day, probably some were from yesterday, you can't really do anything about how much they lay, I know more active free range hens lay less, and you could lower their protein intake to slow them down but you could end up with deficiencies, I think it's more the size of the eggs that causes prolapse, not the amount.

 

[bugkiller]

Only once in 5 years have I ever had a chicken lay more than 1 egg I a day and most people I talk to don't believe me that it happened. Are you positive that you did not miss any. Is it possible 1 laid just after you collected the day before than another before you collected the next day. And even if they did lay multiple eggs I don't think it will hurt them. It is the size of the egg to be concerned. I had one lay an egg so big once there was blood on the egg.

 

[Qualara]

Well I collected in the morning, and then in the morning today. I do every day. I cant miss any, there is only one box for them and they were all in the box. That's what I found so strange, but you're right, they might have layed after I had left yesterday. 2 are mine that I had from babies and the other 2 are ex factory hens, and they are free range.