Not laying

[chickmama2014]

My chickens are not laying very well. We have 4. I usually get 1-2 eggs per day. We've had chickens the last three summers and I've never had a batch be this bad about laying. Any ideas? Thank you.

 

[SueT]

Sometimes hens slow down laying due to heat, or stress, or getting older or combinations of all 3. Sometimes there are creatures that steal eggs, such as snakes. If the hens are free range, you might look for a hidden nest.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

SueT gave some good reasons. The heat of summer can be hard on hens and many will quit laying. You didn't mention what breeds you have or their ages but those can play a big part as well.

 

[chickmama2014]

Sometimes hens slow down laying due to heat, or stress, or getting older or combinations of all 3.   Sometimes there are creatures that steal eggs,  such as snakes.   If the hens are free range, you might look for a hidden nest.  

Whoops forgot to mention they are in a chicken tractor that we move twice daily around the yard.

SueT gave some good reasons. The heat of summer can be hard on hens and many will quit laying. You didn't mention what breeds you have or their ages but those can play a big part as well.

It has been hotter than normal for this time of year here. The place we bought them from just called them red laying hens. I don't even think that's a breed. I am also unsure how old they are unfortunately. If I put a fake egg in would it help? Oh and we did get them in March and they've really not been great at laying the whole time. It was much cooler in March.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

As the weather starts to cool a bit I think you will see an increase in eggs again. They could be getting on in years, most hens lay the best in their first two seasons than production tends to start to drop.

 

[dustcover]

couple of golf balls in each nest has motivated my gals.

 

[kendallb12]

help! my red sexlink hasn't Layed for like 2 months. it's really hot here down south. We Put a air conditioner window unit so the hen house is nice and cool. My Sexlink goes in there almost everyday and sits in the nest box. then a hour later she comes outside and cackles the egg song but there is NO egg in the box she was in! we know the others have been laying!! She is the only hen not laying. she looks and acts fine, eating and drinking water, scratching around!! we don't know why she isn't laying. any answers?

 

[CluckerCottage]

How old is your RSL hen?
Heat can be a factor for less eggs as well as advanced age.
Have you picked her up and felt her abdomen?
Is it hard and can you feel an egg?
What does her poop look like?

 

[kendallb12]

How old is your RSL hen?
Heat can be a factor for less eggs as well as advanced age.
Have you picked her up and felt her abdomen?
Is it hard and can you feel an egg?
What does her poop look like?

she is 18 months old, her poop changes sometimes it's solid, sometimes it's runny, she is a hen that won't let you pick her up so I'm not sure about her abdomen being eggbound, i can try though. She seems normal she doesn't look like she is eggbound

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

she is 18 months old, her poop changes sometimes it's solid, sometimes it's runny, she is a hen that won't let you pick her up so I'm not sure about her abdomen being eggbound, i can try though. She seems normal she doesn't look like she is eggbound

That's somewhat normal behavior for a sex link at that age. They are starting to lay less, and some can quit at that age, but yours js probably so used to laying daily that they still go in the nestboxes. Usually if they look and act normal they are fine.