Tale of 2 Eggs

[hbwfan]

We have 5 chickens. Got them in February. They are supposedly 3 yrs old or a little older.

They gave us 4 or 5 eggs every 2 days since Feb. This week they started giving 2 eggs every two days. Sometimes one a day, sometimes 2 one day and none the next.

It isn't winter, they aren't moulting, they are not free range. We considered something stealing them but can't see any evidence of holes into their pen, broken eggs, etc.

It has been warmer this past week than it had been.

What do you think? Would it help to leave a light on in their coop at night. Does that torture them or keep them up all night?

 

[FireTigeris]

I doubt a light will help really, age slows them down.

I'd check again to make sure that they are not eating them, can you tell us what there diet is.

I don't leave lights on for my birds so mine do natural chicken things (moult, take breaks), my customers prefer eggs as natural as possible.

Chickens can lay eggs -according to my flock- as old as at least seven years, but my seven year old girl gives only a couple a month, not quite one a week.

My three- four-year-olds are giving two to four a week depending on breed (the high production breeds are laying less in their middle age, the middle production types are doing better at this age).

My newest chicks are not laying yet but I will expect an egg a day 5 days a week as I got high production layers (Ideal 236) to see if early diet can effect egg lay rate over four years.

 

[hbwfan]

Their feed is an egg pellet from the feed store. They also get some lettuce and canned corn.

We considered age in them laying fewer eggs but it seemed strange that they would give the same number of eggs week after week then all of the sudden they are too old and we only get one egg a day?

They have a small night light in their coop. Would leaving it off affect production?

 

[FireTigeris]

I don't artificially light my chickens but I get a drop in eggs when ever the weather either changes a lot suddenly (hot, cold, hot, cold- or hot, rainy, hot, stormy) or when it is hot (over 90*f) for along time many days in a row).