Not Sick, Not Broody, Not Moulting, Where Are The Eggs???

[baltimoreharps]

Hi all,
Well, after reading a LOT on here, I'm still stumped as to why my 2 girls have just stopped laying x 7 days now.

I have one broody who is out of the tractor and sitting with her new chicks, so I know what broody behaviour looks like, and the other two girls aren't acting abnormally.
They are healthy, not moulting and up until last week were pretty much laying daily. The last egg I saw was a soft shelled egg that had been broken open but not eaten. They are in a chicken tractor and not free ranged, so they can't hide any eggs. Last week, the weather was hot, low 90's, but they didn't seem to be uncomfortable and I made sure that they had lots of cool water and a frozen 2 liter in there with them.
They are on layer feed, with oyster shell free choice, with some treats, but not as much as they'd like,lol. Poops are normal for them, but just a bit loose since it's been so wet here and they haven't had as much grit.

I'm stumped. Anyone have any ideas??

 

[horsejody]

Is it possible they are eating them? Sometimes they can clean it up pretty good and not leave a mess.

Or maybe smomething else is eating them. A snake maybe? Once we stopped getting eggs for weeks. Then we discovered a very young and small raccoon found a way to pull the bottom of the door back and squeeze in. No chickens were hurt, but he was eating all of the eggs. We fixed the door by putting a latch at the bottom and egg production was back.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Chickens quite often take a break during the first really hot spell of summer. It may take about 2 weeks but they will slowly come back online. Then of course, it will be time for them to molt. Contrary to what people may think, chickens do not lay well in the summer.

 

[baltimoreharps]

Quote:
If it was a snake, wouldn't I be seeing somewhere around the tractor? Once they find easy pickings, they tend to stay close by and I haven't seen anything so far, but that doesn't mean anything by itself. I could put some golf balls to see if they disappear.

It's really frustrating to have 3 hens, 12 chicks and NO EGGS!!

 

[horsejody]

Try the golf balls.

 

[ange]

I am also wondering about my hens, and I am new, only been at it a month or so. My hen is brddong, and the other is not laying either., always was before, they were each laying eavery other day. Does it have anything to do with the other hen brooding and in the same pen, not with other chicks though, I keep taking her off her nest so she will not brood. Does anyone knowq why my hen thsat is not brooding, is not laying eggs, it has been 4 days since my last egg. I love in upstat enew you, not to hot but 80's or so and have had rain. I looked evrywhre and do not see if she hid them, and if so, she never did before. I miss my eggs.

 

[baltimoreharps]

I don't know ange...maybe someone does.

Well, I went out to check the girls and found a membrane, nothing else in the feeder. I know that wasn't there yesterday because I had to take the feeder out and clean it. I also have no idea of age on these chickens.All I know that the one that we thought was older started laying daily after having them about a month.

The golf balls are in the nest, but I'm wondering if it is a snake, wouldn't it have gone after the 18 eggs the broody was sitting on?

I'm just utterly and totally perplexed...

 

[ashyannehand]

I was actually going to ask the very same questions when I seen yours. I have 8 regular size hens and 10 banty. Last week I was getting about 10-14 eggs a day and the last 6 days very few, only 2 yesterday. No banty eggs for at least 5 days.

I was hoping that it was just the heat. It has jumped fromn about 85 to almost 100 since last week and we have about 90% humidity all the time.

I am doing the same things you are - fresh cold water at least twice a day, always have laying pellets out and calcium. None are broody and none are moulting that I see.

I will be excited to continue to see what other say.

At least we know there are others out there with the same problem!

 

[giasmom]

I too am inclined to believe it is because of the summer heat. This same thing happened with my girls.

 

[Rae_37066]

I was thinking my girls slowed down because of all the rain and cloudy skies, I thought that because it was so cloudy their winter schedule kicked in, We were getting 18-20 a day from 22 Leghorns and today 10 eggs. this is my first summer with chickens and I am still learning chicken behaviors.

3 of the leghorns are sitting eggs right now, They seem to have caught a broody virus, I have another one that I am not sure of yet.
I thought they didn't have the tendency to go broody. This is kinda a mixed blessing because we like the eggs but the chicks are adorable.