The hens just aint laying this season !

[outskirts]

I was wondering if anyone else is lacking in the egg production this season. I live in northern New Hampshire and 4 or 5 other people I have spoken with say there egg production is down this season too.
I have 17 layers , nh reds, ri reds, goldens, barred... ranging from 1 to 3 years old. until this spring I have allways pretty much got an egg a day from all of them for the last couple of months I average 7 or 8 a day and sometimes 5 or 6. I'm pretty sure they are all still capable because I have gotten all 17 a couple times too. I started feeding them the egg production plus a few weeks ago and so far it hasn't made a diference.
Anyone have any advice ? We have had a cool semi wet year so far.
Thanks,
Michael

 

[Reinbeau]

Mine aren't doing well, either, some days I get 5, some days I get 8, occasionally I'll get 12, out of 14 hens. This is their second year, they should be prime, but not so much!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have nothing to compare it to, since I just got my chickens this year.

 

[kmb221]

I live in South Central PA and have found that my egg production is down also. I have 5 hens and I have only been getting 1 or 2 a day. Yesterday I didn't get any.

Just curious also as to why the fall in production.

Thanks

 

[JeninMN]

We have 23 buff orps that turned a year old back on April 7th....and we had more eggs during this last winter than what we are getting now...we had been getting up to 18 eggs a day in the Spring..then the wet weather hit and its been cooler this Summer and the most we are seeing now is between 8 to 12 a day...usually under 10.

I don't understand it either...we sell our eggs and can't keep up with our orders because they aren't laying consistenly so....

I live in West Central MN...

 

[AppleHen]

Same here! Up until a couple of months ago - I was getting about 1 a day per hen. Now only about 2 eggs from 24 hens!!

I noticed a couple of mine have lice - which means they probably all do (they catch those from wild birds). I treated the worst ones & haven't seen anymore. However they have also picked up lice in the winter without a drop in egg production, so I am thinking it might not be the cause.

I don't know what the problem is, but it's sad to not see a full nest box anymore.

 

[Granma in Costa Rica]

I am in Costa Rica. My egg production fell way off from April through June. I thought it was stress. but, It has been more rainy than usual and some of my corn and chicken feed got damp and moldy. Mold affects laying.

 

[tellynpeep]

I'm in southern NH, and am having the same problem. Even taking into account the 2 broodies, my eggs are way down. Usually when this happens I find nests in the woods, but I can't find any stray eggs, and nobody seems to be molting. I blame the weather. Of course, this year I'm blaming everything on the weather!

 

[outskirts]

Thanks for all the responses ! from what I have read here and talking to people around here and throughout the state it seems to be the the speculation of being the weather that is all in common. Even in CostaRica where it I'm sure has been warmer it's still rainy. Perhaps thats it. Unless the chickens know something that we don't. Where is that Chicken Little these days ???

 

[cmom]

My egg production fell off some too last month. As of the last week it has picked up. I started giving them some vitamins and electrolytes in their water and lately in their mash. It seems to be helping. The combs and wattles were a little pale looking but now getting back to the bright red. I thought they might need a little pick-me-up as we have had such hot weather. Usually we get rain every day in the summer but we have hardly gotten a drop this past month. When it has rained it has been very light and the ground under the trees stays dry.