Only getting a few eggs from dozen year old hens

[dmrussell]

I am at a loss. For the past month maybe I've only gotten about 3-7 eggs from my flock of a dozen year old hens who were previously laying fine and giving us about a dozen a day. Is it the season? The weather? We live in town and have a well protected coop. Our back yard is surrounded by brick walls and covered by huge old trees. We have one house beside us that is a business, not worried about them. There may be a snake eating them but how many do they eat?! Plus I check the boxes and coop multiple times a day. Treated them for worms and parasites when they first started to drop in production. I don't expect them all to lay every day but only a handful a day for a month? What am I missing? Thinking about installing cameras. Oh, and I live in the Sandhills of NC. It's warm but not really hot yet. They always have water and food. I have backed off of kitchen scraps so they were getting more feed.

 

[silkiecuddles]

They could be hiding their eggs. Mine find places to lay that are so strange. (I realized only recently that my Pekin hens are laying under the go-cart.)
Or, they could be eating their eggs. In that case, they may not be getting enough calcium (I think it's calcium). Oystershells or broken and dried egg shells should help.
Or they could be molting?

 

[dmrussell]

They are confined most of the time to their coop and run. I have found a clutch in the coop before but not since. And they have some bald spots? Is that molting? Early Summer? I thought that happened in the fall.

 

[dmrussell]

Also I have oyster shell available. thanks for helping!

 

[silkiecuddles]

Also I have oyster shell available.

thanks for helping!

They are confined most of the time to their coop and run. I have found a clutch in the coop before but not since. And they have some bald spots? Is that molting? Early Summer? I thought that happened in the fall.

My two BO hens have bald backs but I don't know if they're laying or not because everyone free ranges.
I'd say go on an Easter egg hunt.

NP!

 

[Free Feather]

If there are bald spots, they are either molting or feather picking. They could be feather picking from boredom and are also eating their eggs for that reason. Let them free range to fix that.
Or they are lacking protein so they are feather picking and egg eating to get protein. What are you feeding them?

 

[dmrussell]

Hm. I have long suspected there was a feather picker in the flock but I have never seen it, although I know that doesn't mean there isn't one! I feed them layer crumbles, occasional scratch and kitchen scraps, and oyster shell. I don't think they are eating the eggs. I don't find the shell and wet mess I would imagine would be left over. I was going to move some new pullets in with them and put them all on grower feed for more protein. Maybe that will help with the bald spots? I'm going to try turning them out in the evenings again too.

 

[Free Feather]

They eat the shells when they eat the eggs. I have tossed eggs to my chickens, and they often will not see a drop left.

They could be molting, though. They do not always do it in fall, and some do it as young as 6 months old.
The grower feed will help if it is feather picking.

 

[pdirt]

Yeah, it sounds like either molting or too little protein, or perhaps both. If they are molting, they will do better with higher protein feed at least during their molt, if not longer. I feed 18-20% grower, year round.

How much kitchen scraps are they getting? If they're getting a lot (more than a couple tablespoons per bird is a lot), then they are probably not getting enough protein. 16% protein layer feed + 10% protein (average guess) kitchen scraps = dramatically reduced protein ration, depending on how much scraps they are getting. Corn is around 8% protein, IIRC.

 

[aart]

How many months old are these birds and what breeds?

Could also be mites or lice.
With what and when did you treat for worms and parasites?
Did you see these pests or have fecals done before treating?

Examine your birds closely. Part the feathers down the the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.
Best done at night with a headlight/flashlight (and someone to help) as they are easier to catch and some mites don't live on the bird but in the coop and come out at night to feed.



Agrees with upping the protein.



I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and all molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.