What happened to my egg production?

[rosemarythyme]

That's definitely AMPLE! (most of the time when folks say that, they post a photo of the tiniest coop and run...) Wondering if it's possible some of the birds have decided to go over the fence and lay elsewhere?

 

[nep big red]

Nope - we clip one wing so they can’t do that!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Since no one mentioned it I will....

Lice and mites can cause a drop in egg production as well as internal parasites.
I would give them a good once over just after dark using a headlamp so as not to disturb them to much.

 

[nep big red]

Since no one mentioned it I will....

Lice and mites can cause a drop in egg production as well as internal parasites.
I would give them a good once over just after dark using a headlamp so as not to disturb them to much.

Hmmm ... that’s something I hadn’t thought of.
Wouldn’t we see signs of them scratching? Or picking at themselves?
I’m standing in my sunroom right now and can see them milling around in their run. I’ve not noticed any picking.
Sure! Right after typing that, I look out & see a couple of them preening!
Not sure how to check them for bugs though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure how to check them for bugs though.

For external bugs: Pick out a few birds to run a check on. You want to part feathers and get a good look at the skin and base of feathers, around vent area, belly, back. Mites would be very very tiny dots moving around, lice are white dots. Eggs can be laid at the base of feathers so look for clusters of very tiny dots around feathers.

Also check inside the coop for mites by going in at night and running a paper towel under the roosts. Red mites come out to eat at night. Look for tiny dots and red smears.

For worms you'd need to take a fecal sample to a vet's office and have them do a fecal float.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hmmm ... that’s something I hadn’t thought of.
Wouldn’t we see signs of them scratching? Or picking at themselves?
I’m standing in my sunroom right now and can see them milling around in their run. I’ve not noticed any picking.
Sure! Right after typing that, I look out & see a couple of them preening!
Not sure how to check them for bugs though.

To check them for creepies....
Quietly with minimal light enter the coop, grab the bird quietly, either with a flashlight or headlamp examine the birds under the wings, near the vent and the back of the neck area parting the feathers so you can see down to the skin. Lice are bigger than mites but still quite small. Mites are extremely hard to see they are so small.
Also take a white paper towel and run it along the bottom side of the roost. If it comes back smeared with red that is from squishing mites that have just fed.

Excellent pictures in this link.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[aart]

Maybe these two pictures of their run will give you a better idea of the size.
The wire fence is 50’.

Huge space!
Where's the coop?

While you're checking for bugs.....
...check pelvic spacing(F-F) and vents for laying status:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[rosemarythyme]

Huge space!
Where's the coop?

"There’s one showing the side of our barn that IS the chicken coop. Yes - the entire side of the barn. It’s about 35’ x 12’. " So it's the wooden structure on right side of 2nd photo?

 

[nep big red]

Update:
Last night I only had 7 eggs. Their treat was a cut up cucumber. Oh boy! Did they ever let ME know what they thought of that!!
Tonight? TEN EGGS! And I noticed they ate more of their feed today (despite one being in “chicken jail” for broody behavior). I’m thinking cutting back the amount of their evening treat may be the key. Tomorrow will tell, since they got the reduced amount of treat tonite. I also noticed, once the treat was gone, a couple of them went over to the feed.
I’ll update again tomorrow night.
Thanks for all your suggestions & encouragement!

 

[nep big red]

And tonight? Nine eggs.
I’m probably going to have to give them some time to get back into the laying cycle? I’m just guessing here!