From 5 - 7 eggs a day in late spring, the hens have dropped down to 1 a day (at best!) since May. The guilty parties are:
2 leghorns - 3 years old
3 buff orpingtons - 2 years old
1 red sex link - 2 year old
1 wyandotte - approx 4 years old
1 barred rock - approx 6 years old
1 buff orpinton - approx 6 years old
1 unknown breed, like americauna, not colored eggs - approx 5 years old
I do know that I shouldn't expect much from the 4 - 6 year olds, but actually they are the only consistent layers right now along with 1 leghorn egg every 3rd day. So it's really the 2 year olds that are letting me down.
Possible causes of the poor laying?
1. There have been a few transitions since spring - death of one flock member (probably sour crop), addition of 12 new pullets (after a month of side by side acclimation), and a new barn/ coop - with new nesting boxes - introduced. But they've been all together now since mid June and no improvement.
2. We have a serious rodent infestation this year, partly related to the new coop which was built on the site of an old infested shed - totally excavated and cleaned out but those little critters had to go somewhere. They are definitely still around. Will be getting a barn cat when fall cools the barn down a bit.
3. Some virus? All are well, eating well, pooping normally, adjusting to new flock members peacefully.
4. Weird molting? There are lots of feathers all around the yard but mostly they are downy fluff which I think is from the new pullets. Or can molting go on for this many months?
5. Weather? We live in the high desert of NM so summer days can be blistering but this year was nicely wet and the new barn provides lots of new shade.
6. Secret laying location? Have looked EVERYWHERE. They have a large fenced run, and no hiding places that I can't get to.
7. Predators? Conceivably some bull snakes or very large garter snakes, but then I wouldn't expect they'd lay even one a day.
8. Skillful egg eaters? There was one, but she's the one who died and she always left a little evidence. Since then, no problems with that.
The eggs, when they do arrive, are so delicate I often break them just by picking them up. They have free access to LOTS of oyster shell and they just don't seem to eat it. I'll add it to the feed directly once the pullets start laying, but for now it's separately offered.
Feed: In the winter they got organic layer feed 16% in the morning and corn scratch in the afternoon. In the summer, just the layer feed til they mixed with the pullets and now they're all on organic grower til the pullets lay. I cut back the corn early since the older ladies were getting a bit chubby. They also get kitchen scraps, but none of the prohibited foods.
I'd be grateful for any thoughts you all might have on causes and remedies. Tired of buying eggs, that's for sure. Forgot to say that one youngster is a roo, so I hope his presence will eventually have a beneficial effect on the layers. Not seeing it yet though.
Thanks in advance!
2 leghorns - 3 years old
3 buff orpingtons - 2 years old
1 red sex link - 2 year old
1 wyandotte - approx 4 years old
1 barred rock - approx 6 years old
1 buff orpinton - approx 6 years old
1 unknown breed, like americauna, not colored eggs - approx 5 years old
I do know that I shouldn't expect much from the 4 - 6 year olds, but actually they are the only consistent layers right now along with 1 leghorn egg every 3rd day. So it's really the 2 year olds that are letting me down.
Possible causes of the poor laying?
1. There have been a few transitions since spring - death of one flock member (probably sour crop), addition of 12 new pullets (after a month of side by side acclimation), and a new barn/ coop - with new nesting boxes - introduced. But they've been all together now since mid June and no improvement.
2. We have a serious rodent infestation this year, partly related to the new coop which was built on the site of an old infested shed - totally excavated and cleaned out but those little critters had to go somewhere. They are definitely still around. Will be getting a barn cat when fall cools the barn down a bit.
3. Some virus? All are well, eating well, pooping normally, adjusting to new flock members peacefully.
4. Weird molting? There are lots of feathers all around the yard but mostly they are downy fluff which I think is from the new pullets. Or can molting go on for this many months?
5. Weather? We live in the high desert of NM so summer days can be blistering but this year was nicely wet and the new barn provides lots of new shade.
6. Secret laying location? Have looked EVERYWHERE. They have a large fenced run, and no hiding places that I can't get to.
7. Predators? Conceivably some bull snakes or very large garter snakes, but then I wouldn't expect they'd lay even one a day.
8. Skillful egg eaters? There was one, but she's the one who died and she always left a little evidence. Since then, no problems with that.
The eggs, when they do arrive, are so delicate I often break them just by picking them up. They have free access to LOTS of oyster shell and they just don't seem to eat it. I'll add it to the feed directly once the pullets start laying, but for now it's separately offered.
Feed: In the winter they got organic layer feed 16% in the morning and corn scratch in the afternoon. In the summer, just the layer feed til they mixed with the pullets and now they're all on organic grower til the pullets lay. I cut back the corn early since the older ladies were getting a bit chubby. They also get kitchen scraps, but none of the prohibited foods.
I'd be grateful for any thoughts you all might have on causes and remedies. Tired of buying eggs, that's for sure. Forgot to say that one youngster is a roo, so I hope his presence will eventually have a beneficial effect on the layers. Not seeing it yet though.
Thanks in advance!
