Unreal amount of eggs

[monteandcheri]

We have 8 black sexlink hens, 8 barred rock hens and 1 barred rock roo. They are all almost 7 months old. Got our first egg at 5 months. Fed them 20% crumbles till we got the first egg then switched to 16% layer feed. All non medicated feed. They get scratch occasionally and bone meal and crushed egg shells for calcium. They free range 2-3 hours a day with an occasional full day out. The egg count has gradually risen from 1 egg to 27 yesterday! I was happy when we got 14 eggs one day then suprised when we hit 21 and now at 27 Im a little concerned. From what Ive read this is a little over normal. Ive got six nesting boxes and occasionally find some eggs on the coop floor and a couple of times found 1 under the roost.

My question...should I be concerned or thankful?
Thanks in advance.

 

[WashingtonWino]

You're not getting 27 eggs/day out of 16 hens, I'm assuming that is a cumulative number?

 

[tcstoehr]

I think the OP *is* saying 27 eggs in one day. And I agree that's pretty hard to believe. I would start looking for alternate explanations, like neighbors' chickens visiting and laying eggs. Or raccoons stealing eggs from other coops and delivering them into your coop. That last sentence was supposed to be funny but now that I consider the comic element, is it possible a practical joker is responsible?
As is usually the case, a video cam could be very useful.

 

[krista74]

I think the OP *is* saying 27 eggs in one day. And I agree that's pretty hard to believe. I would start looking for alternate explanations, like neighbors' chickens visiting and laying eggs. Or raccoons stealing eggs from other coops and delivering them into your coop. That last sentence was supposed to be funny but now that I consider the comic element, is it possible a practical joker is responsible?
As is usually the case, a video cam could be very useful.

I agree. I just don't think it's possible.

With 16 hens, the most eggs you should be expecting are 16 eggs per day. Occasionally a hen will lay twice in a day, but it's not common. It can happen when they (for example) lay Egg #1 first thing early in the morning, and then get a fright late at night and lay Egg #2. Sometimes they can lay a partially formed egg during the night from the roost too. But to get 27 eggs that means that 11 of your girls have laid twice in a day and I can't see that happening.

I suspect either some hens from 'somewhere else' - maybe a neighbour's place - are coming to your nest boxes to lay, or someone is pulling your leg and having a bit of a joke with you. The third option is that 'someone' has told you they went out and collected the eggs that day like you asked them to but they actually didn't do it, meaning you were collecting 2 day's worth of eggs in one go the following day.


- Krista

 

[WashingtonWino]

OR, perhaps a case of chicken math has overtaken a member of the household, and the OP THINKS he/she has 8 Black sex links and 8 barred rocks, but has closer to 15 of each...

Whatever the case may be, being thankful is ALWAYS a good policy!

 

[monteandcheri]

21,eggs one day, 27 the next. I know how to count and there are no other chickens around. I take offense to those claiming I stated an untruth. Drop by and count yourself. I have 16 hens total.

 

[nj2wv]

I think maybe the hens hid them under the nesting material and you are finding them now. Or someone is pranking you. It is very rare to get two eggs a day.

 

[monteandcheri]

This is Mrs OP, we wrote this forum out of concern for our chickens, we aren't lying nor are we incapable of counting. My hus band only told you of two days we have been getting an average of 18-20 for several weeks but when it jumped so high I asked him to write a forum to see if this is something that could hurt them. At this moment all I see is people being rude because their ladies aren't producing what ours are. Thanks for all the help folks. ><>

 

[WashingtonWino]

No offense meant, truly. Be thankful and give them lots of calcium I guess!

I hope mine do half as well.

 

[krista74]

I don't think anyone means to accuse you of stating an untruth, and I apologise if came across that way. I have no doubt what-so-ever that you did indeed find 27 eggs in one day.

We are merely expressing our opinions (which you requested), based on our experiences, that there is more than one reason that this might occur.

That several hens are laying multiple eggs per day is not impossible. Nothing in the world is impossible. But in most people's experience, it is less likely than some other scenarios.

I understand that you are concerned for your hens. I am presuming that you are not keeping them in artificial lighting 24 hours per day? If not, I am not personally aware of anything you can do to 'slow down' a hen's egg production. Perhaps other more experienced folk than myself might have other ideas though.

I wish you all the best with your hens and whilst I can only speak for myself, I assure you that any responses I make are given in good faith.

Respectfully,

- Krista