SLOW egg production

[Vincentville farm]

I have 22 Plymouth Barred Rock hens, and 1 Easter Egger. My BR girls are about 26 months old. My EE is 6 years old. Since mid summer, my egg production has dropped significantly. My BR girls are plucking one another's feathers too. I have several bald butts and backs. I have tried everything I can think of to remedy both situations.
The slow down started when I had to take part of their space away for a hen that went broody and hatched chicks. The chicks are gone, but the behaviors have remained. I've tried putting in more roosts and applying 'Rooster Booster pick-no-more', without success in changing anything. I'm on my last option of pinless peepers and pick-no-more again. I have supplemental light in my coop, which worked well last winter. ANY ideas on how to restore egg production would be greatly appreciated! I'm getting no more than a dozen eggs a day.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Your birds may not be picking each other, they are probably just molting which will itself reduce egg production. Where in the world are you? Limited daylight will also decrease production. They naturally just slow down during the winter.

 

[nuthatched]

What's their diet? Low protein can cause picking.
But the egg production, they're past their prime. They've molted and will have a winter break and they'll lay come spring, but they won't be as productive as in their youth.

 

[Vincentville farm]

Your birds may not be picking each other, they are probably just molting which will itself reduce egg production. Where in the world are you? Limited daylight will also decrease production. They naturally just slow down during the winter.

They started this feather picking behavior during the summer, as well as the drop in egg production. We had light from 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night. They are also too young to for their first molt. I was told their first molt isn't until after they are two years old. And egg production slows a little at the two year mark.

 

[nuthatched]

They started this feather picking behavior during the summer, as well as the drop in egg production. We had light from 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night. They are also too young to for their first molt. I was told their first molt isn't until after they are two years old. And egg production slows a little at the two year mark.

Their first molt is their second summer/fall. Whoever told you that was misinformed.
What's their diet? They're definitely picking each other.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Any mites? How big is their run? Do they have any "clutter" in the run to reduce boredom and create hiding spaces?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any mites? How big is their run? Do they have any "clutter" in the run to reduce boredom and create hiding spaces?

x2. Photos of set up would help.

While they are old enough to have their first adult molt that does look like picking damage, whether self inflicted (mites, lice) or done by the others, which could be caused by stress, boredom, low protein, or a combo of above.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 22 Plymouth Barred Rock

My BR girls are plucking one another's feathers too. I have several bald butts and backs. I have tried everything I can think of to remedy both situations.
The slow down started when I had to take part of their space away for a hen that went broody and hatched chicks. The chicks are gone, but the behaviors have remained. I've tried putting in more roosts and applying 'Rooster Booster pick-no-more', without success in changing anything. I'm on my last option of pinless peepers and pick-no-more again. I have supplemental light in my coop, which worked well last winter. ANY ideas on how to restore egg production would be greatly appreciated!

My BR girls are about 26 months old.

They are also too young to for their first molt. I was told their first molt isn't until after they are two years old.

At 26 months old, they certainly are old enough to be going through a molt.

There space was limited for a while and they picked up a bad habit, even though the space has been corrected, the habit still remains.

You are correct, pinless peepers sounds like a good option. Put them on for a while, turn off the light and let the girls go through a natural molt and once fully feather back in, take the peepers off and see if the issue has been resolved.
At this point all of them have broken feathers and intact feather follicles in the skin, those will not be replaced until they molt.

At 26 months, production is going to be reduced. If production is your goal, then it may be better to keep production hens and rotate them out yearly, selling off the older hens once they start to molt.

 

[Vincentville farm]

What's their diet? Low protein can cause picking.
But the egg production, they're past their prime. They've molted and will have a winter break and they'll lay come spring, but they won't be as productive as in their youth.

I use an all flock feed with 18% protein. I provide oyster shell for them in two places. I feed them a good scratch in the morning, soldier fly larva treat mid-day, and a fruit snack in the evening.

 

[Vincentville farm]

Any mites? How big is their run? Do they have any "clutter" in the run to reduce boredom and create hiding spaces?

I've checked for mites and it is negative. I've hung some chicken toys for them. They snatch the bright parts of them within hours and are left with empty hangers with bells. I put a roost in the run for them but I don't have hiding spaces. Their favorite place to hang out is the water tubs, which are for cooling in the summer. Those are upside down now that it is cold. They still hang out on top of them.
Their run is quite large, but is muddy this time of year.