Normal Egg Quantity

[SheilaCondit]

I have one, 5 month old hen and nine, 18 month old hens that I bought 4 weeks ago.
I bought them largely to compost manure from our 2 horses, but the eggs are nice and I am hoping to donate what we don't eat to a food bank.
These are my first chickens. It took me a couple months to renovate a 6'x10' shed into a chicken coop, and add a new 7'x16' chicken run. They also have access to a large protected yard, and 4 acres of pasture.
At the time i picked up the chickens the owner told me that they were beginning to molt. The first week I was getting 1 jumbo egg a day total for 2 weeks, and the shells were thin and weak. Last week they layed 2 jumbo eggs a day total and the shells were hard with the feed I am giving them. This week there has only been 1 large egg every few days. It is now the 4th week, the end of September, and the days are now shorter. Is this laying frequency normal for health hens of this age considering the shorter days and molting, or am I doing something wrong?

 

[bobbi-j]

You are not doing anything wrong. Those 18 month old girls are likely in molt and will not lay again until February or so.

 

[SheilaCondit]

You are not doing anything wrong. Those 18 month old girls are likely in molt and will not lay again until February or so.

 

[SheilaCondit]

Thank you, that is a relief

 

[bobbi-j]

Sometimes I am still surprised at how quickly egg production can drop off in the fall.

 

[SheilaCondit]

Yes, fall is here!
Just this week I can see gold and brown beginning to show up in the forest tree canopy

 

[Dayrel]

Are you offering them supplemental calcium (oyster shell/crushed egg shell), preferably separate from the feed? That might help with the one that is laying thin-shelled eggs and will allow any that need it to supplement their calcium levels.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Keep a chicken calendar!

I record --

* breed, age, date they moved to the ranch, where they came from (adopted from, TSC, etc), date they left the ranch, and name.

* dates of medical treatments (epsom salt baths, Corid, etc) and/or injuries (spur bleeding)

* dates of molts (don't know exact dates, but I have an idea - my senior flock molts in August, resumes egg laying middle to end of Sept).

* temps/weather (this affects amount of feed, behaviors, egg laying, etc).

* how many eggs collected & from which flock.

* how much feed I go through (new bags opened, the weight -- 30, 40, or 50#, & approximate cost -- I round up).

The calendar helped me realize I was collecting fewer and fewer eggs. This lead to many MORE visits to the animal houses and to the great Snake Event.

Congratulations on your new flock!

 

[Smuvers Farm]

 

[SheilaCondit]

I added calcium separate the 2nd week and now no more thin shells. I will just have to wait for them to get past the molt to see more eggs.
I just wanted to make sure it is normal.
I really want them to free range and compost. That is the point of having them, if they don't do that then they will end up in the stew!