Please Help Me!

[FarmerBoy24]

I am having an egg problem

I have 18laying hens (well suppose to be) and I have been getting 1 egg! At first I was getting about 13 eggs a day, then 6, then 5, then 3, now 1.. Aghhhh it's insane!

I feed them lay mash, they have clean water, they free range on an half an acre (fenced in though), some of the hens are about 1 yr old some 2-4yrs. they have plenty of nest boxes, we have 8 roosters to them (3 are too young to do the job

) Maybe too many roo to hen ratio? they have a coop/barn. really sure they are healthy. They just got over their molt. They look nice now with all their new feathers.

I have a customer who gets about 3 doz eggs a week. I might have to turn her down because this week we only have 1 doz and 3 eggs.

Can someone PLEASE HELP ME!!!! SOS

 

[Magic Birdie]

Could be the winter. Do you have artificial lighting in your coop?

 

[welasharon]

Mine are not laying right now either. They have to get over their moult. It takes energy to refeather and it is hard to do that and lay. I read where people try all kinds of things to get them to lay but, really, they aren't going to till they are physically ready to start again.
sharon

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
Yes good point there too. Some don't lay much in the winter either.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

If they free range on 1/2 acre than I would look for a hidden nest. I don't know what your coop set up is, but maybe you could keep them in a day or 2 and see if they lay in the coop.

 

[WillowTreeFarm]

I am still a beginner at this and hope someone will say for sure, but I would bet it's the decrease in daylight. Shorter days= less egg production. Add a light to your coop and turn it on at dusk for a couple hours and I bet things will improve, although idk how fast.

 

[flowergirl60]

Mine aren't laying either. Shorter days. Added one is moutling as well. I'm giving them the winter off and letting nature take it's course.

 

[DinosRBirds]

i think its the winter.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

That's what everyone is telling me! artificial light. What time do I set the light for?

Birdies: What time do I set the light for?


Hollywood Chickens: I will try that as well, However I did look around this morning for any hidden nests.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Where can I get artificial lights? Anyone know?