What is going on here?!?

[saraki]

I am really hoping that someone can point me in the right direction here. I have a laying flock of twenty brahma, Wyandotte and EE hens, my husband's little cross beak chicken (Ugly Betty), and one lucky Brahma rooster. I have recently had a dramatic drop in egg production that I suspect is due to disease/infection/parasites but I am having a very hard time narrowing in on what is going on. My chickens are all one year old today, and have dropped from 16-19 eggs a day to 7-8, and then today I got 4. This reduction has coincided with them going outside more.

They are allowed to range our property, given scraps (mostly vegetables and grains), given free choice oyster shell and always have layer pellets or crumbles. They have supplemented light and nothing in their environment has changed other than the seasonal changes of being outside more. I've pretty thoroughly looked for nests and am fairly sure they aren't laying outside, or at least not many of them. I am in the process of putting some dye filled eggs out to see if anyone is eating them, but I really think that the drop in laying is something health related.

I have not noticed any symptoms to speak of, nor has there been much behavior change. They are eating less, I assume because they are finally able to forage more. I'm really not sure where to start with eliminating issues or treating the problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated since my egg customers are leaving disappointed more often than not.

 

[RileyCalanchini]

They might be preparing to molt. They usually slow down a lot or even stop laying when they begin to molt. All chickens do that. I don't know what else it could be. What have your temperatures been?

 

[saraki]

They've been up and down. It has been a rough winter, but they always have a heat lamp when it drops below freezing. The one day this winter the cars wouldn't start and the windchill was twenty below they laid 19 eggs.

I am probably showing my ignorance here, but I thought they wouldn't molt until later on this year? None of them looks particularly bedraggled other than the rooster's favorite. Her feathers are always a mess. This has been going on for six weeks now, and I can't afford to be feeding them all if they aren't making any money. Heck, at this point I may even need to buy eggs for my family. How would I know if they were going into molt? And how long do I let them before I just send them to freezer camp?

 

[saraki]

Bueller...Bueller...

 

[RileyCalanchini]

Molting totally depends on them. Since you said they just turned a year old, they might be "preparing" to molt. That can take a while if its their first molt. The temperatures might have an affect on them because they want to lose their old feathers but can't otherwise they will freeze. They are just taking their time and waiting for the warm weather to come. I don't think they have a disease, or parasites, or an infection because you would defiantly notice by now. I think if you give them time, they will molt and begin to lay again. Hope this helps.

 

[saraki]

Well, they are no longer earning their keep, and I am going to have to buy store bought eggs so that my family can have some this week. I think if they haven't picked up again by the end of this week I'm going to have to start processing them. Thanks for the information about preparing to molt. I just always thought either they were molting or they weren't.

Boy, hens sure are fickle.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Gosh I'd hate to see you cull so many young birds and start all over. I have birds 5 years old that still lay an egg every other day. Maybe try keeping them in their coop/run for a few days and see what the egg count is. They just may be hiding them from you while they are free ranging.

I would check them all over very carefully for mites/lice as well, if you haven't already. Very common in birds that have been spending a lot of time in the coop over the winter and it can really weaken them. It wouldn't hurt to deworm them all either. How is their comb color? Are they nice and red or pale? You could add some vitamins to their water, Avian Super Pak is a very good one. When you check for mites check their body condition too, see if they feel thin.

Edited to add: I've never had an entire flock of hens up and molt this time of year. Mid summer right on through early winter but never in the spring.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with Cafarmgirl, and would follow her suggestions. There may be a reason for the slowdown. If you are home during the day, you might try locking them in for a couple of days until 11 AM to see if you get more eggs. Chickens don't molt at 12 months. Yours shouldn't molt until August, then every year thereafter.

 

[ten chicks]

I have a couple that are 12 months and they are definitely molting. Egg production has dropped.but for me this is not an issue i simply buy eggs.

 

[saraki]

Well, the rooster has to go due to some new aggression towards my small children, so I was honestly just going to do a few at the same time and slowly put a few in the freezer, because I agree that it is a shame. I've been taking up each one and checking her over and not noticed anything, but I will try deworming them. I've been over every inch of our property and not found a single egg, so I don't think they are laying out there, but I will go ahead and make them stay in this week. It's just very hard to know what to treat or correct when there is simultaneously everything and nothing!

If they are having worm problems, how long after I start treatment should I see results?