Low Egg Production?

[Shadyapex]

Hi all, I've read through some forum threads so am familiar with some of the reasons for reduced production but wanted to see if I could find out a bit more. We have 6 Buff Orpingtons that we got in late April 2020. They started laying in October 2020 and production was good all winter, usually 3 to 5 a day.
Then summer came with high temps. We live in the CA desert and temps can reach 105 or more, and they did. So I wasn't surprised when output dropped to 1 or 2 a day, sometimes 3. The fall came and I blamed molting. Now they're getting feathered out again and production is still low, sometimes non, usually 1 or 2 and occasionally 3. I'm feeding layer crumbles, scratch feed every day, the occasional treat of cooked rice or spaghetti or mealworms, oyster shells. They've got good access to the feed trough and water. They seem lively and healthy with plenty of space. Thoughts?

 

[All4Eggz]

Lower production in hens is normal during late fall and winter.
Your pullets in 2020 were still young, so they produced much more than they ever will in their lifetime. The older the hen, the less eggs it lays.

When winter comes, daylight hours drop, then egg production drops. Hens lay eggs based off daylight hours - they need about 12-14. In the winter, there is barely 8 hours.

This is nature's way of giving the hens a break. Some people use artificial lighting in the coop to encourage laying by adding "day light". Some think that it's unnatural.

Personally, I can't afford getting 3 eggs a day from 25 hens, so I will be setting up artificial lighting in the next 2 months or so.

Layer crumbles should take up the bulk of their diet, along with natural table scraps and proteins. Scratch feed and mealworms should only be a treat - only about a tablespoon per hen per day.

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all, I've read through some forum threads so am familiar with some of the reasons for reduced production but wanted to see if I could find out a bit more. We have 6 Buff Orpingtons that we got in late April 2020. They started laying in October 2020 and production was good all winter, usually 3 to 5 a day.
Then summer came with high temps. We live in the CA desert and temps can reach 105 or more, and they did. So I wasn't surprised when output dropped to 1 or 2 a day, sometimes 3. The fall came and I blamed molting. Now they're getting feathered out again and production is still low, sometimes non, usually 1 or 2 and occasionally 3. I'm feeding layer crumbles, scratch feed every day, the occasional treat of cooked rice or spaghetti or mealworms, oyster shells. They've got good access to the feed trough and water. They seem lively and healthy with plenty of space. Thoughts?

You missed the "shorter days" reason for reduced/stopped production. You are going to have to wait until the days get longer before production increases. This is one reason people introduce new pullets each spring and remove older birds.

 

[Canucklehead]

About 2 weeks my 5 RI Reds went from laying 3-4 per day to 1-2 per day. They are now 22 months old (I think, because I purchased them privately 14 months ago and was told they were hatched in Oct 2020.

They are also molting unevenly. It seems like one has completed molting, another seems to have been molting for 6 months (and looks quite ragged), and 3 others haven't started yet, or they have been molting by stealth. I can't quite figure it out.

They seem quite healthy and I let them free range quite a bit so as to lower their stress and keep them happy. I did not use any artificial light to enhance production last winter and egg production dropped for 3 months during a cold period that lasted from Jan - March. It picked up again in April.

With that information can anyone have possible suggestions as to why the production suddenly decreased.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With that information can anyone have possible suggestions as to why the production suddenly decreased.

Quite often, hens do not resume laying after fall molt until winter is over and days begin to lengthen again. I often get no eggs for months in the winter.