Normal lack of egg production?

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My little flock here has seen a drastic drop off in egg production, at one point a month or so ago I found 6 eggs, then we were finding soft shell eggs, putting calcium in at night and also liquid seemed to cure that . Now we are down to 2 a day, and I’m certain it’s the runners. They are starting to molt, and they are new layers. Also it’s getting cold at night. 40’s.

 

[DucksOhio]

Funny, I’m having the same issue as well. The girls laid eggs like champions all winter and spring, but now I’m only getting a few a day.

i was also getting a shell less egg almost every day and some with more delicate shells, regardless of all the oyster shells I put out.

i started putting the oyster shells out in the morning as well, and have dribbled calcium glucanate over their evening peas every other day. This seems to have helped with the soft eggs, but production is still down.

 

[333113]

It's not just the cold, but also the diminishing day length that tells a layer to slow down in the winter.

My sister keeps a light on a timer in her henhouse to keep them laying longer. I have a night light in my barn that keeps eggs coming most of the year, for me.

 

[KaleIAm]

My ducks stop laying completely when they molt. They also stop completely, or slow way down when the days get shorter. Food changes/shortage/calorie restriction or stress from moving their stuff (or stress from anything) reduce egg production.

 

[DucksOhio]

It's not just the cold, but also the diminishing day length that tells a layer to slow down in the winter.

My sister keeps a light on a timer in her henhouse to keep them laying longer. I have a night light in my barn that keeps eggs coming most of the year, for me.

I do that as well. Mine goes out at 3 hours after sunset, and 3 hours before sunrise.