no eggs today? what's wrong?

[siouxbee]

I have 7 hens, of whom at least 6 if not all 7 seem to be laying. We usually get at least 3 or 4 eggs a day. But today, there were none! We collect eggs at least 2 x a day (I have small children for whom this is very exciting, so on a good day, we virtually harass the poor hens by peeping frequently into the nest boxes.)

Our girls (plus 3 roosters) free range during the day. But since they've all started laying this fall/winter, they have seemed to lay in the nest boxes. Granted it poured all day yesterday and some of the nest boxes got a little damp since I haven't put a proper roof on their coop. There are 4 boxes, and they usually only use 2 of them.

What's up with that? any ideas? I don't put out a lamp to force them to lay during the winter, but it seems with the longer days that our girls all seemed to start laying anyway. No one appears to be molting horribly that I can tell.

Thanks for your help or ideas.

Siouxbee

 

[jab91864]

Maybe they are having an off day. Maybe they all decided to go on strike at the same time. Any chance a critter is stealing the eggs?? Could they have found a new favorite spot/nook/hole to lay in... happens, especially if somebody decides to go broody. I would think the dampness in the nest boxes could be a contributing factor.

I wouldn't start to worry unless they go a few days with no eggs.

3 roosters is a LOT for only 7 hens.... could be they are harassing the gals too much. Spring in the air gets the boys a lil more persistant/determined.

Julie

 

[MissPrissy]

It is nothing to worry about. It is not uncommon for them to skip a day or two. If it was raining and nest boxes were wet look around, they probably found a nice dry place somewhere to lay them.

 

[SeaChick]

Our 6 girls occasionally have a 1-egg day (although not a no-egg day.....yet!). I can usually predict it because the day before everyone laid their eggs after noon. Then they skip a day and the following day, they lay REALLY early in the morning, the next day and hour later, and so on. Maybe this is what happened to you, with that few chickens, it could just be that all of their "break days" cooincided on one day.

 

[crazychickens]

My chickens will lay 12 one day then 1-2 the next.

 

[Churkenduse]

You have to remember that they lay eggs anywhere from 24-36 hours, I read that so please don't yell at me

So if your girls lay in the afternoon then the likelyhood of them laying the next day is slim because if it is too late in the day they will just skip to the next. That happens to me sometimes.
I have a half banty/polish and the eggs are really small so I track her, she is really a machine with about 5 per week for her size that is a lot.

If they all have a day off at the same time that is when you get a no egg day. Nothing to worry about, the next day will be fruitful.

 

[siouxbee]

I should have just waited -- three eggs again this morning. So much for my egg eater theory ;-)

Thanks for all your reassurance that this little blip was normal.