Not producing

[robinrn2004]

Good afternoon friends!! I would like a little advice/problem solving help please! I have 6 layers, 2 sex link, 2 bard rocks and 2 americaunas - my americaunas are only about 9 months old and my 4 others are almost 3 - We also have a rooster who is 9 months old.

My dilemma - In the fall I was getting very good egg production,5-6 a day - but a few months ago we noticed a huge decline - well, we found a nest under our deck that had a good 3 dozen eggs in it. We decided at that point we would keep the chickens in their yard so this would not happen again - production increased but not back to its baseline, we got 2-3 eggs a day, so we decided we would let them free range a few days a week. But the same problem occured, production really seemed to decline and we later found a nest under our wheel barrow. So now we have had them locken in their yard about 2 weeks and production is terrible, we are getting one egg a day at best, sometimes none, and we havent had a green egg in 2+ weeks - Any ideas why this is happening? Could there be something wrong with the coop that thier not wanting to lay in their boxes? I would welcome any and all thoughts.

 

[aart]

Could be the short days, especially with your 3yos...could be some are molting...could be confinement stress...could be a nutrition issue.

You have 11 birds?
How big is your coop(feet by feet)?
How big is your run(feet by feet)?
How many nests?
Have they ever consistently laid in the nests?
What and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[robinrn2004]

days certainly are short right now, so I'm really hoping that's it. No I only have seven birds -4 three-year-olds and 3 9 month-olds. six hens one rooster.-their run is between 40 and 50 ft.² and they have 2 nesting boxes inside the coop. Yes they've previously layed well in the coop without problem. theyre fed layers pellets and all of our fruit and veggie waste, I also preferred a free range them but when they're laying under the deck and I can't reach them that's just not feasible-Didn't start happening until late winter this year.

 

[aart]

Your 2-3 eggs are probably coming from your 9mo pullets......
.....older birds are probably off lay because of winters short day, but should be coming back online soon with the lengthening days.

Run size is a bit small, you don't say how big coop is...pics of coop and nests?
Have you tried fake eggs in one of the nests?