I bought 6 Australorps last summer to add to an existing flock of 16, bringing the totals to the following:
3 Black Star
2 Red Star
6 Americauna
5 Buff Orpingtons
7 Australorps
--------------
22 total
The Australorps started laying in late November while all the others are about 1.5 years into their egg-laying careers. Without them, I had gotten daily egg totals in the first year of the others' laying in the low to mid teens.
Many molted over the winter but only one BO is in molt currently.
Last week I had as many as 12/day, my highest in a long while and the average until this week was around 10/day. This week the average has dropped to around 8/day and today it was 7; 7 eggs for 22 birds.
They have not used the egg boxes (5) in quite some time, preferring to lay behind the plastic sheet which is stapled to the stud cavity but is loose and flapping enough to nest behind. There are typically two clutches of eggs in the course of the day, one having most of the eggs, the other 2-3.
I discontinued artificial light several months ago when the light stopped working.
I am feeding them game bird feed, 18% but will be switching back to 16% next go-around.
I'm wondering if the coop is too small (8X8) and they are feeling too stressed to lay normally? When I go in to the coop several times a day, there are typically 5-6 birds in there jockeying for a spot like airplanes in a holding pattern.
Thoughts? Shouldn't I be getting more eggs even with the majority of the birds entering their second year of laying?
3 Black Star
2 Red Star
6 Americauna
5 Buff Orpingtons
7 Australorps
--------------
22 total
The Australorps started laying in late November while all the others are about 1.5 years into their egg-laying careers. Without them, I had gotten daily egg totals in the first year of the others' laying in the low to mid teens.
Many molted over the winter but only one BO is in molt currently.
Last week I had as many as 12/day, my highest in a long while and the average until this week was around 10/day. This week the average has dropped to around 8/day and today it was 7; 7 eggs for 22 birds.
They have not used the egg boxes (5) in quite some time, preferring to lay behind the plastic sheet which is stapled to the stud cavity but is loose and flapping enough to nest behind. There are typically two clutches of eggs in the course of the day, one having most of the eggs, the other 2-3.
I discontinued artificial light several months ago when the light stopped working.
I am feeding them game bird feed, 18% but will be switching back to 16% next go-around.
I'm wondering if the coop is too small (8X8) and they are feeling too stressed to lay normally? When I go in to the coop several times a day, there are typically 5-6 birds in there jockeying for a spot like airplanes in a holding pattern.
Thoughts? Shouldn't I be getting more eggs even with the majority of the birds entering their second year of laying?