Sharp drop in production

[Dolivo]

Hi
My older hens (1.5 yrs old) have started through their first big molt. So egg production from them have basically stopped. But I have 24 young ones, born in February, that should be laying up a storm. They are not. I am getting 11-12 eggs a day. That's it. No other change other than molting in their environment. No hidden nests that I can find. All young ones are great egg laying breeds.
Thoughts plz? I'm getting frustrated. I should be getting more eggs than that.​

 

[Molpet]

some breeds need more protein than layer feed has
I assume you have oystershell out

 

[Dolivo]

I have them all on a grower higher protein and yes, oyster shells.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Could be the season... with winter coming on (if your in the States) that can slow down egg production. Half of mine were hatched in june, and I'll be surprised if I get eggs from them this year...

 

[21hens-incharge]

The farther from the equator the earlier in the fall the days shorten.
Here in Colorado we are dark until 7 am and dark again by 7 pm this time of year.
Production drops here too.

I can only assume that in Canada the days are even shorter right now.

 

[Dolivo]

I'm in Montana, and yes, the days are getting shorter. However, I have read and also experienced (last fall and winter) that a young pullets first winter they keep laying pretty regularly through the first winter. Last fall and winter I was getting 12-14 eggs a day from 20 birds. So to only be getting 11-12 eggs from 24 birds and it's only October seems very strange, like something's off.
Will the older hens molting effect the young ones at all? Like a change in the environment?

 

[mizz9]

We only have 3 ladies, but they were all great egg layers until about 2 weeks ago suddenly barely any eggs. We got them as chicks last summer and they started laying in Dec/Jan and we got LOTS of eggs from Jan until now. I assume it is the changing seasons. The eggs we do get sometimes have a very thin shell and are broken when we go to retrieve them They have layer feed and oyster shell so I don't know if there is anything different we can do to help?

 

[AllenK RGV]

The farther from the equator the earlier in the fall the days shorten.
Here in Colorado we are dark until 7 am and dark again by 7 pm this time of year.
Production drops here too.

I can only assume that in Canada the days are even shorter right now.

even at 26' north we are just about to lose our 12 hour days.

 

[Molpet]

molting hens never has affected my pullets... but who knows, different birds get upset about different things... maybe your hens are cranky to the pullets.
what has affected my birds laying is predators on the coop at night or swoops during the day, new birds, different feed brand, sudden change in temp, length of day (but that was in Dec) change in location ( different coop but they wanted to go back to the old coop they could see)