Large Loss in Egg Production

[PatrickRoo]

We had a horrible predator attack that left us standing with 4 hens. (Which only 3 were laying.) Only 3 eggs a day is what we were getting. We saw some free laying hens on Facebook one day so we took them. We got 8 hens and they all layed eggs. We were getting 11 eggs a day, pretty good. We've lost a couple of those, maybe 2 or 3. So, we saw some laying hens on Craigslist for $10 a hen. Very healthy birds. We bought 5. The woman we bought them from said they were hens and were all laying.

However, our egg production has recently dropped. We are now only getting 5 eggs a day. I'm unsure from who, but only 5. It's left us confused. Is it the new chickens we have recently introduced? Their food hasn't changed a bit, they've been eating Purina Layena crumbles basically the whole time. It's just left us dumbfounded. Any help or advice is appreciated very much. Thanks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

New birds can bring in diseases others aren't immune to, so that could be a problem. Some will cause birds to stop laying.

New birds causes stress in a flock so that would cause laying to cease.

If the birds are over a year they will stop laying this time of year to molt.

Not all hens lay continuously. Production goes up and down based on time of year, stresses, and age and breed of birds.

If you feed anything besides the layer ration your birds could end up protein deficit which will affect laying.

So lots of reasons hens stop laying.

 

[PatrickRoo]

New birds can bring in diseases others aren't immune to, so that could be a problem. Some will cause birds to stop laying.

New birds causes stress in a flock so that would cause laying to cease.

If the birds are over a year they will stop laying this time of year to molt.

Not all hens lay continuously. Production goes up and down based on time of year, stresses, and age and breed of birds.

If you feed anything besides the layer ration your birds could end up protein deficit which will affect laying.

So lots of reasons hens stop laying.

Thanks for the information. The friend I went with to go get the 5 hens for me actually bought some herself. She bought 6 hens. They've just now brought a disease into her flock. I've just heard about this. Apparently, they sound raspy and their eyes are goopy. Mine, however, don't seem to have this problem.

I did think maybe it was the new birds or possibly molting. Unfortunately, both the people we got the new chickens from never told us their ages.

 

[aart]

Unfortunately, both the people we got the new chickens from never told us their ages.

Always good to ask age in weeks or months, not years......
.....may have to ask several times to get a hopefully honest answer.

They've just now brought a disease into her flock. I've just heard about this. Apparently, they sound raspy and their eyes are goopy. Mine, however, don't seem to have this problem.

It could be that her existing birds were carrying the respiratory illness that is now affecting the new birds. They can carry disease but show no symptoms until immune system is stressed.