Slackers, or am I expecting too many eggs?

[Savitar]

I have seven laying hens. The maximum # of eggs that I've gotten is 4; daily average is 3; sometimes I get 2 or 1. Egg production began increasing in January, more so in February and March, but seems to have stopped at the average of 3 eggs. Is 3 out of 7 considered a good percentage of layers for this time of year? We're in the mountains of Colorado, and are still getting snow, but the daylight hours are certainly longer.

Here's the breeds, age, & my guess as to whether or not they're laying.
Are these laying?
Light Brahma - about 2 years old, lived here 7 months. Have seen her near the nesting box less than 5 times, maybe in it one time.
1 Easter Egger/Americana - about 1 year old, lived here 7 months. I have NEVER seen her near a nesting box, no blue eggs ever.
2 Bielefelders - about 1 year old, lived here 7 months. One lays regularly. The other gets in the box, stays for a few hours, but no egg; I think she was laying before Christmas.

Seen in boxes, these are laying
1 Buff Orpington - 9 months old, got her as a chick. Lays regularly.
1 Chocolate Orpington - 9 months old, lived here 3 months. Lays regularly.
1 Blue Splash Marans - 7-9 months old, lived here 3 months. Lays regularly.

Occasionally (a few times a month), there are eggs laying in the run. Since I am not outside all the time, it's certainly possible that I've missed the light Brahma in the nesting box, or the Easter Egger. And then there's the Bielefelder that gets in the box, but doesn't produce an egg.

How do I know who's laying, if they're not in the box? Could the Easter Egger be laying a brown egg? She's pretty typical in appearance - no comb, muff, and blue/gray legs. And the light brahma - it was supposed to be a breed that laid in the winter, but there's no clue that she ever did that. She's a big cow, though!

Do I have a lot of slackers??

 

[azygous]

No slackers. Just breeds that lay every two or three days as most traditional breeds do. If you want a tidal wave of eggs, next time you get chicks, pick up some hybrids. These are normally called Sex-links and combine qualities of several breeds that are noted for being prolific layers. They will lay nearly twice as many eggs over their laying years and often lay through the winter as well.

They also have the advantage of being easily sexed at hatch so you will be assured of getting only pullets rather than risking an accidental roo.

 

[50-45-1]

Agree with above post from azyogus. The breeds you have are not daily layers.
The sex link hens are great layers of large brown eggs for two years, a egg a day. The downside of that is that they commonly die of reproductive causes before they are 5 years old. Most are discarded before that.
The leghorn is also a prolific layer for 2 or 3 years.
Some folks believe that hens like yours actually produce more eggs throught there lives (which are longer), by being more regular spaced egg layers as nature intended.
Yes your EE might lay a brown egg.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also how positive are you on the ages of the older ones? Are you sure they're 1-2 years old?

 

[Savitar]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not sure of the age of the light Brahma, but the friend that gave me her & 3 others ordered chicks last March, so those 3 (Easter Egger & Bielefedlers) are only one year old. He thought the light Brahma was from the previous year's order, so 2 years is the estimate. She does seem like an old grump, and is huge, so she could be 5 years old for all I know.

This is my first year, and I'm obviously new at all of this. But I was basing my "worry" on this: if a breed should lay about 175 eggs per year, and they do NOT lay very many in the winter, seems like they should make up for it in the spring/summer. So, assuming we're nearing peak production time based on length of daylight, I just thought I might hit 5 eggs per day.

And was also worried about no eggs from the Easter Egger, but if she can lay brown eggs, than that may be the issue. But again, I have never seen her near a nesting box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not sure of the age of the light Brahma, but the friend that gave me her & 3 others ordered chicks last March, so those 3 (Easter Egger & Bielefedlers) are only one year old. He thought the light Brahma was from the previous year's order, so 2 years is the estimate. She does seem like an old grump, and is huge, so she could be 5 years old for all I know.

And was also worried about no eggs from the Easter Egger, but if she can lay brown eggs, than that may be the issue. But again, I have never seen her near a nesting box.

Might want to do a vent exam to see if the EE (or some of the others) are likely to be laying: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Brahmas aren't great layers so even if she is just 2 years old, she may never lay well no matter what the season is.

 

[Savitar]

Might want to do a vent exam to see if the EE (or some of the others) are likely to be laying: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Brahmas aren't great layers so even if she is just 2 years old, she may never lay well no matter what the season is.

Thanks for the link. I didn't know how to do a vent exam, have been putting OFF doing a vent exam . . . but I guess I should just do it!

 

[azygous]

It's more of an exterior exam. Just feel for the pelvic bones on each side of the vent. Knobby protrusions of bone. If you can fit two fingers between them, that hen will be laying soon. The vent itself will be moist and pulsating.

I believe that hens that take the short days of winter off from laying make up for it by laying for more years, rather than belting out eggs in spring and summer in close succession.

 

[RojoMarz]

We are also in the Colorado mountains. We have 2 RIR, 2 Buff Orpington's and 2 Lite Brahama's. For the last month or so, they have gotten back into regular laying. Most days we average about 4 eggs per day. Yesterday, we got 2, but today it was 6. The LB's are our biggest variables.

 

[Cindy in PA]

The EE may be laying brown eggs.