What's wrong with this picture?

[ninjapoodles]

Here's what--This represents about 24 hours' worth of egg from our chickens, but our Orpingtons outnumber our Marans FIVE TO ONE! And, we have a handful of Easter Eggers who have also gone on strike!

I don't understand it. The weather is beautiful, the birds free-range, they have all the food and clean water they could want....what is UP with these hens? They've gone from giving us 20 eggs a day to giving us an average of THREE.

 

[karen71]

I don't know
molting- laying elsewhere- we are not all laying here in Delaware as it is still winter
maybe they decided they needed a vacation

 

[barnwife]

My my my!!


Maybe they're molting or hiding their eggs? I had chickens hide them on me...They started laying under a woodpile and got a little broody. We found it in the fall when we were building stuff using wood from the pile...ever smelled six month old eggs smashed to bits?

Tis the molting season in some places. ORRRRRRR....
Are they older ladies?

 

[mtnhomechick]

NP..you might want to see if they're having eggs for breakfast!

 

[tim_TX]

Its possible they are laying on the range, so to speak. But the more likely answer is that they are still wintering. Do you supplement light? I have several batches of pullets and hens at staggered ages, but my best percentage layers [ Rhode Island Reds] really slacked off after Christmas and are just now getting going again. By slacked off, I mean that 40 hens went from laying 32-36 per day to 16-24 per day. This week they are getting back up in the high 20s per day, just in time for me to sell them. I prefer to sell the pullets while they are still in their prime, rather than the alternative. As a small producer, I require my birds to pay their bills.

 

[spook]

Free ranging. The girls are to busy to hang around and push out an egg. Today I let my girls out (5) and we only recieved 2 eggs. So your not the onl one!

 

[Mahonri]

My hens got sick and so we went from 10 eggs a day from 14 hens down to 3 or 4. It stinks.

I gave them extra grass too!

 

[Buster]

I have Marans, EE's and Orps as well and my Orps and Marans FAR outlay the EE's. So much so that I'm going to get rid of the EEs. The green egg factor can't keep up with the fact that they don't lay enough to earn their keep.

 

[ninjapoodles]

It's really weird. The slowdown coincided almost perfectly with the beginning of warm weather. And they're all in their prime, no older hens. WEIRD.

 

[bayouchica]

How old are your hens?
My EE's there're almost two,started laying again after a 4 month strike.

Opps, I just saw your post,lol.
Have you checked for worms?