No eggs!?

[Grind Hard Farm]

sensitive readers, i suggest you don't continue to read

Hello.

Our family has suddenly stopped getting eggs from our backyard flock. It has been 3 months since we see any eggs, and we unfortunately had to go back to store bought eggs. They have been getting fresh water & scratch grains (cracked corn, milo, whole oats) mixed with 16%-layer crumble. We killed 2 possums and multiple rats as they are around our coop. There is a rumor there is a beer-bottle sized rat around our coop at night...but I haven't seen it. There are quite a few chickens that are a couple months old, soon to be or were laying eggs. I hope anyone can answer my question...what's going on?

 

[AshVau22]

If you have enough hungry rats they'll take the eggs day or night. Depending on the severity of the rat population they could be eating your eggs.

 

[AshVau22]

Are they confined to a run or let out to range? Days are also shorter and colder. Depending on age molting also stops or slows egg production. And breed makes a difference.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would cut out the scratch except as an occasional snack and increase their protein to about 20% by switching up to an all-flock or grower formula. This won't have an appreciable amount of calcium in it, so to make up the lack, provide oyster shell in a separate vessel for those that need it. Non-laying birds should not have calcium, those that need it to form eggshells will help themselves.

And keep in mind that most hens take a break in fall/winter due to shorter daylight hours. They should pick back up again in the spring, or shortly after winter solstice when the days get longer.

 

[Anon112]

I know it might not be financially/logistically feasible for everyone, but I got a Ring Outdoor Cam and set it up in my run and it has been EYE OPENING. If you are able to get hold (even to borrow) a camera (trail cam, ring cam, etc) it could give you some valuable information about what's happening in your coop.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I know it might not be financially/logistically feasible for everyone, but I got a Ring Outdoor Cam and set it up in my run and it has been EYE OPENING. If you are able to get hold (even to borrow) a camera (trail cam, ring cam, etc) it could give you some valuable information about what's happening in your coop.

Oh? Do tell.

 

[Anon112]

Oh? Do tell.

Things I have witnessed on my camera:
1) One of my hens is having a bit of difficulty getting down off the roost in the morning (she has twisted toes) and so I need to figure out a safer/lower roost for her
2) One of my young hens stopping by the waterer, grooms a feather, looks thoughtful, and then an egg falls out of her!
3) Upsettingly, I witnessed a coordinated rat attack on one of my roosters (thankfully he survived), which helped me understand how they had managed to kill two of my hens.
4) They spend a LOT of time sunbathing.

 

[SourRoses]

I witnessed a coordinated rat attack on one of my roosters

I'm curious about the coordination you witnessed. What was their methodology?
Having lost a large pullet once to rat(s) a few years back in a supposedly secure coop. I always wondered how the creeps approach chickens in a way that doesn't startle them, or do they simply overwhelm them. But I also don't want to know, if you know what I mean...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

In the dark, at night, chiggenz are ... sitting ducks. During the day, I dunno.

 

[SourRoses]

In the dark, at night, chiggenz are ... sitting ducks. During the day, I dunno.

Unless you need to catch them for some purpose... Ask my sore back how I know that today, lol