What do you think?

[smk2010]

For the past 2 weeks our egg production seems to have decrease. We normally get 4-6 eggs a day and this past week we have been getting only 1-3 eggs a day. We have a fairly good sized chicken coop with a large outdoor run and have 6 laying hens and about 10 five month old pullets housed there. I have people I normally sell to every week and I hate telling them, "Sorry no eggs this week".

Is it possible to tell if the eggs are being eaten by the chickens or possibly a snake or a mouse/rat?

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thank You!

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

Has it been very hot where you live? Sometimes they sill stop laying in the heat. They will also lay less if they have a parasite (mites, etc.) so that is something to check for, too.

 

[ibpboo]

Sometimes my chicken will peck their eggs, and when they do, there is a mess left behind. Pieces of shell, yucky, yolky nest bedding. The other eggs will be messy that are in the same nest box.

Sometimes I can get 6 eggs a day, other times, just one or two, and sometimes none.

 

[drdoolittle]

I think it could be a rat.

 

[smk2010]

It was pretty hot here the past few weeks but they seemed to keep laying through the worst of it. Now that its cooling off a little my eggs have slowed down too. If they are eating them then they are eating the entire egg because I'm finding no shells or gooey yolk mess.

 

[smk2010]

I've seen a few mice at night and a mole or two but no rats yet. Sure hope its not rats!