Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[mindylee]

Anyone else seen a big drop in egg production? I have 13 layers and no one is giving me eggs right now. It's been that way for about a week or so

80 hen, 0-4 eggs a day. Been that way foe almost 2 months.
1st they was broody... then started blowing feathers. Molt is now coming to end just in in time for the weather to drop.
Lol

 

[aart]

Anyone else seen a big drop in egg production? I have 13 layers and no one is giving me eggs right now. It's been that way for about a week or so

Went down as the hens started molting a month or so ago.......now going up as more pullets start laying.

 

[wannahomestead]

I"m full of questions today.

So I just had to toss about a dozen duck eggs that were bad, and a slew of chicken eggs as well. To me, this equates to poor inventory control and monitoring. Any suggestions?

 

[SunshineMary]

Anyone else seen a big drop in egg production? I have 13 layers and no one is giving me eggs right now. It's been that way for about a week or so

We are getting 5 to 8 eggs per day from nine pullets at the moment. Our eight female ducks are giving 3 to 4 eggs per day; the goose seems to be laying once or twice a week (unfortunately, we just wormed the waterfowl with Panacur and now have to discard the eggs for the next 10 days).

I don't know why we are still getting so many eggs despite the shortening days. Maybe it's because they are all new layers?

 

[aart]

I"m full of questions today.

So I just had to toss about a dozen duck eggs that were bad, and a slew of chicken eggs as well. To me, this equates to poor inventory control and monitoring. Any suggestions?

Why were they bad....too old before used?......found hidden nests?
Need to know why, before suggesting what to do about it.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd be live trapping that tomcat ASAP! Nobody needs tomcat spray at the house, ugh! I trap/ test/ neuter/ vaccinate stray cats here, and find homes for sweet friendly kitties, or keep them myself. There are organizations that will take them, also helpful. mARY

 

[wannahomestead]

Why were they bad....too old before used?......found hidden nests?
Need to know why, before suggesting what to do about it.

A combination of those things.

Hidden nests, stored dirty, too old before use.

 

[troyer]

Is anybody going to the Ohio NationalS 11/12-11/13?????

We plan on going for Saturday.

 

[aart]

Quote: Were they stinky rotten 'bad' or just too old and/or dirty for you to eat or sell?
If not straight up rotten, you could always scramble them up and feed back to birds.

Hidden nests, with chickens you can confine them for a time to 'train' them back to using the coop nests.....
......not sure that works with ducks tho, I've never had ducks.

I use the dirty eggs myself, wash and refrigerate right away...always cook well, often hard boil them.
Unless they are absolutely covered with poop, which is rare here, then I toss them.

It's taken awhile(2-3 years) to establish a good customer base that is in balance with my population and production.
I have 4 regular customers that I supply regularly all year,
they deal with the ebb and flow-had to do some 'rationing' late this summer,
and a few others who will buy when production is high.

That all works for me but I only have 15-18 birds over winter and only sell about 3-5 dozen a week.

 

[wannahomestead]

Were they stinky rotten 'bad' or just too old and/or dirty for you to eat or sell?
If not straight up rotten, you could always scramble them up and feed back to birds.

Hidden nests, with chickens you can confine them for a time to 'train' them back to using the coop nests.....
......not sure that works with ducks tho, I've never had ducks.

I use the dirty eggs myself, wash and refrigerate right away...always cook well, often hard boil them.
Unless they are absolutely covered with poop, which is rare here, then I toss them.

It's taken awhile(2-3 years) to establish a good customer base that is in balance with my population and production.
I have 4 regular customers that I supply regularly all year,
they deal with the ebb and flow-had to do some 'rationing' late this summer,
and a few others who will buy when production is high.

That all works for me but I only have 15-18 birds over winter and only sell about 3-5 dozen a week.

Thx Aart,

Some of these were stinky rotten bad. I candled all the eggs and found up to about a dozen and a half or so of eggs that had funk growing inside them. My chicken run is a muddy mess with the rain we've had, and it seems to take a long time to dry out. I also think some of my issue at this point is over crowding of the coop/run, so I really think thinning the flock would help.

Could my lack of egg production also be caused be over crowding? Perhaps they're stressed out and have stopped laying because of it? I'm likely to start thinning the flock a bit this week.