Ok I have around 25 hens.they have been laying just fine right along.about 4 weeks ago I get maybe 2 eggs a day and was getting 10 to 13 .what gives? Nothing I feed them is different. The weather cooled off a little.any ideas?
How old are they? They could be entering a molt in response to the cooler weather? Also, what breed are they?
Mine seem to go through phases, one minute I'm giving eggs away the next I'm thinking I'll have to start buying if they don't lift their game. You don't have a few broody's keeping others off the nest box do you?
18 months is typically the first molt for a lot of breeds. Because they are normally hatched in the spring, they generally molt in the second fall of their lifespan. Have you noticed excess feathers laying around the coop, or somewhat ratty looking appearances on your birds? Since the number is so large, this cannot be an egg tract issue (i.e. egg binding or calcium problems) and I would most likely attribute it to the declining daylight and colder temps. Hopefully this helps. Also, appps could be correct in saying that it is just a phase your flock is going through, so I wouldn't discount it, but a good number of birds in my flock just began molting, so I am more inclined to say that is the cause.