sudden drop

[aart]

I have 20 hens my first flock got them this spring, we were up to getting 12 eggs a day AND a duck egg. then today I only got 5??? what gives I am so lost here, Not molting, no signs of predators at all, pretty much the same day light hours I am so lost I was expecting a drop in production this winter but jeesh this seems nuts to me

Quote: I figured they were pullets, leave them locked up for a week, re 'home' them to using the nests.....wonder how many eggs are 'out there'?

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[bobbi-j]

about 6m and one is a mystery age not that old though from what I can tell. but today I got 18 eggs!!

I was guessing they were pullets, too, but you just never know... Glad you got more today! Sometimes they just all feel the need to take a break. All. On. The. Same. Day. (I think it's a conspiracy. They get together, plan their day off and laugh at us as we search in vain for eggs that aren't there.)

I figured they were pullets, leave them locked up for a week, re 'home' them to using the nests.....wonder how many eggs are 'out there'?

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

Agree with Aart. Sometimes you just have to keep them in one place for a while to calibrate them.

 

[MayhemMarr]

I figured they were pullets, leave them locked up for a week, re 'home' them to using the nests.....wonder how many eggs are 'out there'?

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

that is what I did today kept all of them locked in the barnyard and I got 18 chicken eggs and 1 duck egg then I let them out for a couple hours to run around with the boys after school and for the next couple days they will be locked up due to errand running and such

 

[aart]

Quote: Great!! It's a good technique.
I'm not a free ranger myself for multiple reasons...
even if I was I do think that a run is a good thing to have,
and getting them used to being confined part of the time is important for when you may have to confine them,
because of egg loss, predators issues, etc.