How many of you are experiencing a drop in egg production?

[jossanne]

My house too. I was just about to start a thread about this when I saw your post. I've got 37 hens/pullets, and I know that at least 30 of them are laying. But today I only got 8 eggs. Back in June I was averaging 25 a day, July was 20 a day, and now it's more like an average of 13 a day.

I started building my flock a year and a half ago, and most of them just turned a year old in July. This is when my last flock started molting, but they were a few months older than these girls in the fall when they started their molt. I wasn't expecting a major molt until later in the year.

So does molt happen because of the hens' age, or is it related to the season???

 

[wombat]

So far, no drop here. My egg-a-day ones are still at that rate, but 5-a-week are still giving me five. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I think some breeds are more sensitive to the hours of daylight. We get less eggs Nov-March or so, but we do keep getting eggs unless birds are in molt. We've got RIR, some RIR mutts, sex-links, and a couple Orps. They all seem to be good winter breeds.

I've not put a light in the coop for extra hours of light, might try it this year though.

 

[mrbstephens]

My hens are only 5 1/2 months old so I don't think they are in a molt.

 

[digitS']

Things have picked up here. It was very hot again in early September and the hens decided that enuf was enuf and nearly shut down production. Then they lost a few feathers - a very easy molt this year.

They put themselves back in gear a couple weeks ago and have been hitting about 80%. I just turned the light on in the coop. They have been climbing up on the roost shortly after 6pm and won't come down until nearly 7am.

We have gone to record cold now so it's about 3 weeks earlier than last year but I think that the birds are sitting around just a little too long in the cold and dark without an extra hour of light. As it gets colder, I'll add another hour.

Steve

edited to get my times right

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That's not all that unusual. If last year was their first winter laying, they might not slow down at all; mine didn't. Now their second winter is coming and they are slowing down, right now for their molt. They are still getting plenty of greens free ranging as temps. haven't been cold enough to kill vegetation off. I'm hoping that as soon as their molt is over, they'll get back on track.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Unless you use lights inside your roosting area, to provide at least 15 hours of light, the birds are just doing what is natural. Reproduction slows and the birds will moult. I have lights in my coop when the birds go in at night they get an extra two hours in the evening and one and a half in the morning. But tonight I shortened that to one hour on each end and I think I am going to shorten it still and let them just shut down and rest for a bit. I have 8 Rhode Island Red hens and they have been doing usually 6 to 8 a day all summer. So I am going to let them rest.

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
That's not all that unusual. If last year was their first winter laying, they might not slow down at all; mine didn't. Now their second winter is coming and they are slowing down, right now for their molt. They are still getting plenty of greens free ranging as temps. haven't been cold enough to kill vegetation off. I'm hoping that as soon as their molt is over, they'll get back on track.

So, the second winter they lay they won't slow down as long as they aren't molting? This will be the first winter for my hens, so next winter will be better?

 

[JayBird+16]

I thought I was them I watched 1 of my hens eat 4 eggs in 3 minutes!

 

[Sissy]

Mine too have been taking a break.
I have cochins (19) and only got 11 eggs yesterday and 7 this morning.but they did a beautiful job all this year so i think a rest has been earned .

 

[willheveland]

Mine too, are on strike. Tis the season. Will