Hi Everyone,
Lately my egg production has drastically dropped, and I'm wondering if there is reason for concern.
We have 8 hens total, 1- BO, 1- RIR, 2- PBR, 1- AUS, 1- Partridge BR, and 2- EE's.
The Partridge, and 1 PBR are both 9 months old, the rest of them are 17 months old.
Prior to the BO, (and now the Partridge), going broody,... we were consistently getting 6 to 7 eggs per day, and maybe one day a week we would get 8 eggs in a day.
When the BO went broody (4 MONTHS AGO !), naturally she stopped laying, so we were down to 5 - 6 eggs per day, with an occaisional 7 egg day.
(btw,.... our BO has FINALLY stopped brooding for about a week now, and I'm not sure if she has started to lay yet again)
Now, the Partridge Rock has been broody, for about 2 weeks.
About 4 weeks ago, the summer temps finally came to town,
and we went from mid to high 70's,... to mid 80's - low 90's.
Maybe this has something to do with it,... I don't know.
The coop is inside the large caged run, well ventilated, well shaded, dry and comfortable, cleaned every 3 or 4 days, (I have poop boards under the roosts), water/food (lay pellets) are available 24/7, and the flock free ranges the backyard almost daily.
All of them appear to be healthy, eating well, acting normally, and diet has not changed.
No other "secret" laying nests have been found anywhere around the yard/patio,...
I've looked at any and all possible places,...
(and the egg numbers don't go up any, if they are not allowed to free range for a few days either).
At about the same time we started to get temps in the 85 - 95 range,...
we dropped to only 2 - 3 eggs per day,... with nearly Zero EE eggs being laid for at least 2 weeks... and over the past 4 weeks, we have only received MAYBE, 4 or 5 EE eggs total.
(also worthy of note here, is that 2 of these EE eggs, have been soft/thin shelled, laid at night,... up on the roost,... and broken on the poop board 3 inches below the roost, due to thin/soft shells)
so as it stand now,...
I have 1 Partridge Rock broody,...
The BO broke brood 7 or 8 days ago,...
...and am still only getting 2 or 3 brown eggs per day,... (for about a month now).
Almost no EE eggs at all.
(although we DID get 1 good, EE egg yesterday,.... and it was the first one in about a week).
and here's the VERY WORST PART OF ALL...........................
We actually had to GO BUY EGGS for this weekend Breakfast !!!
OHHhhhhh,....The TRAGEDY OF IT ALL !!!
so,...
Does anyone have any ideas as to why the girls have apparently gone on strike ???
Do I need to re-negotiate their work contract ???
Should I offer them some sort of Health Benefits or Retirement Package ???
Should I maybe offer them a fun filled family outing to the Beach ?, the Movies, Disneyland ?,...
(or,.... the FRYING PAN ???)
What do you all think ???
Lately my egg production has drastically dropped, and I'm wondering if there is reason for concern.
We have 8 hens total, 1- BO, 1- RIR, 2- PBR, 1- AUS, 1- Partridge BR, and 2- EE's.
The Partridge, and 1 PBR are both 9 months old, the rest of them are 17 months old.
Prior to the BO, (and now the Partridge), going broody,... we were consistently getting 6 to 7 eggs per day, and maybe one day a week we would get 8 eggs in a day.
When the BO went broody (4 MONTHS AGO !), naturally she stopped laying, so we were down to 5 - 6 eggs per day, with an occaisional 7 egg day.
(btw,.... our BO has FINALLY stopped brooding for about a week now, and I'm not sure if she has started to lay yet again)
Now, the Partridge Rock has been broody, for about 2 weeks.
About 4 weeks ago, the summer temps finally came to town,
and we went from mid to high 70's,... to mid 80's - low 90's.
Maybe this has something to do with it,... I don't know.
The coop is inside the large caged run, well ventilated, well shaded, dry and comfortable, cleaned every 3 or 4 days, (I have poop boards under the roosts), water/food (lay pellets) are available 24/7, and the flock free ranges the backyard almost daily.
All of them appear to be healthy, eating well, acting normally, and diet has not changed.
No other "secret" laying nests have been found anywhere around the yard/patio,...
I've looked at any and all possible places,...
(and the egg numbers don't go up any, if they are not allowed to free range for a few days either).
At about the same time we started to get temps in the 85 - 95 range,...
we dropped to only 2 - 3 eggs per day,... with nearly Zero EE eggs being laid for at least 2 weeks... and over the past 4 weeks, we have only received MAYBE, 4 or 5 EE eggs total.
(also worthy of note here, is that 2 of these EE eggs, have been soft/thin shelled, laid at night,... up on the roost,... and broken on the poop board 3 inches below the roost, due to thin/soft shells)
so as it stand now,...
I have 1 Partridge Rock broody,...
The BO broke brood 7 or 8 days ago,...
...and am still only getting 2 or 3 brown eggs per day,... (for about a month now).
Almost no EE eggs at all.
(although we DID get 1 good, EE egg yesterday,.... and it was the first one in about a week).
and here's the VERY WORST PART OF ALL...........................
We actually had to GO BUY EGGS for this weekend Breakfast !!!
OHHhhhhh,....The TRAGEDY OF IT ALL !!!
so,...
Does anyone have any ideas as to why the girls have apparently gone on strike ???
Do I need to re-negotiate their work contract ???
Should I offer them some sort of Health Benefits or Retirement Package ???
Should I maybe offer them a fun filled family outing to the Beach ?, the Movies, Disneyland ?,...
(or,.... the FRYING PAN ???)
What do you all think ???