SO sick of buying eggs

[Nigellas]

I'm getting SO sick of buying eggs. Pretty much all summer I've been averaging 1 (maybe 2 eggs very rarely) a day with 6 hens.

I have 2 bantam cochins, that I don't expect anything from, so I probably shouldn't even count them. Then I also have 2 Javas who are constantly broody. Seriously. All.The.Time. I gave them both sets of babies over the summer trying to hurry up their non-laying process and hey both wen broody again within a week of giving up their babies. Gah. Still broody, and it's nearly November.

I have an Easter Egger who layed great for about 2 months, then stopped in the summer when she went from being #2 in the flock to the bottom girl. It's been months since I got anything from her. (I know now it's autumn slow down time now, but she's been off laying since July)

The only hen I have that lays regularly is my Black Sex Link.

Most of my hens are 8 months-ish, the Javas are 1 1/2.

Do I just have the wrong breeds? I'm getting 100% sick of buying eggs- it's kind of ridiculous, you know?

 

[NorthestGeorgia14]

What do you feed them. Laying feed.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Are they getting enough light? I had to put lights in a couple weeks ago. They come on around 6pm when it starts getting dark and stay on a couple hours.

 

[Nigellas]

Yup, they get layer feed, I don't do lights, but this has been going on all summer, so it's not a light issue, I don't think...

 

[AHappychick]

could they be hiding them somewhere?

 

[Ole rooster]

That's bad. I feel like I buy eggs anyway. The layer feed, coop, and all the rest of the stuff. But I do get about 3 dozen eggs a week. Way more than we can eat. So I give um away to friends in the neighborhood. My best layers would be the GLW and the EE. Steady.

 

[Nigellas]

I wondered that about the EEer, but it's a pretty small yard and I can't find anything.

 

[peterlund]

Try keeping them confined for a few days. Then the hiding will be decided... Do you ever see shell fragments, or yolk remnants around? I got a few egg-eaters in my bunch.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Is it possible something in their coop is bothering them? I had a serious decrease in egg production when it first started to get warm. I though I had egg eater and was ready to let some chicken heads roll. As it turns out, I did have an egg eater, but it wasn't my chickens. It was a huge black snake. When I finally caught the sucker, I was checking for new eggs under my broody. The snake was curled up under her eating her eggs (yes, I reached under the broody and grabbed the snake

). So, is it possible you have a snake, or mice or rats? Good luck!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I wrote this column as an educational piece and one that, hopefully, encourages people. Give it a read.
It is entitled, How Many Eggs Will My Hens Really Lay?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=586719

In that column, you will read that we essentially keep two flocks. One lays OK, but it is more the heritage oriented, eye candy portion of the flock. The other portion of the flock is the production side. I unapologetically keep Black Sex Links, ISA Browns, Bovans and other 300 egg per year birds for a small business selling eggs.

You asked, "Do I just have the wrong breeds". Yes and no. I'd encourage you to read the above.