Very Low egg production

[saym]

My neighbor has 30 hens, all 4 years old, he is only getting 2-3 eggs a day and is ready to butcher them all!, Any ideas. he's feeding 16% and whole wheat (?) he gets the whole wheat from another neighbor.

 

[Mrs. K]

They are 4 years old, it is hot up here for the last several weeks, and it is pretty common for production to slow from the heat. I don't think it is the feed, but rather age, heat and daylight is waning.

Now he could have a hidden nest. If he was getting a bunch of eggs, and then drastically the number diminished, I would suspect a hidden nest, and last week I found a hidden nest myself in an apparently impossible place.

But if he has just been getting less and less, I think it is their age and heat. A lot of them won't lay again until late January/ February, but the eggs will be larger. However, the quality of the egg might not be that good.

Some people like to do this, all in, all the same age, all out and start over. I prefer to have a multi-generational flock - add a few each year, and cull a few each year.

Mrs K

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I agree it’s age and possibly the heat depending on where you are at. Every year I add more chicks to keep a steady flow of eggs. My oldest and largest group of hens will be 4 years old next year. I ordered 20 pullets this year fully expecting to get very minimal eggs from my 4 year olds next year.