Reduced Egg Production

[banditti]

We have (6) Australorps, (2) Wyandottes and (7) Leghorn. They have a nice coop and quite of bit of space to roam. We bought them from someone getting out of chickens (2 different sources) and for a month or so we got good production. (8-12 a day) Then about 3 months ago I think they molted and the weather turned (We are in the Phoenix Metro area) The egg production dropped to 2 every other day. I read the forums and ran power to the coop and put a timer on a 40 watt bulb. They now have 15 hours of light a day. That was 5 weeks ago, still no up in food production. They have water 24/7 and get 4 cups of food in the morning and 3 in the evening.

What am I missing?

Thank you in advance,

 

[etammy]

I have found that with age the molt can be hard on them and last for months. Mine just started laying some after 4 months of little to no eggs, they are almost 4 years old. They also don't lay as much in the winter

 

[gibsterl]

When mine went through their moult this fall there were no eggs for 70 days and then it took another 3 weeks before they were laying as usual.

 

[ladytoysdream]

Can you get some extra protein into them ?

I try to feed some cat food a couple of times a week, soaked in water first. Today I fed them some deer hamburg I cooked and mixed in some dry oatmeal.

I also got a bale of really nice hay that looks like grass clippings and put some of that in a hay rack to give them something else to munch on.

 

[banditti]

Thank you all for your response. I actually was mistaken. The molting happened with our last chickens that got wiped out by a coyote.

Since these are replacements, and were already producing, I don't know when they molted last. Everything else is accurate.

Thanks,