Where Are The Eggs?!

[HippiAiti]

Ok, so I am feeling the shame of buying store-bought eggs when I have two perfectly healthy (seeming) egg-laying hens.

I have 4 chickens: a year old giant Blue Cochin hen, an almost year old Silver-laced Wyandotte hen, a 3.5 month old Americauna pullet and a 3 month old Red Sex Link pullet. Up until a month ago my Cochin lady laid an egg nearly every day and between the two hens I was getting almost a dozen a week. But after the new pullets moved in to the coop, not immediately but shortly after, the egg production out there ceased. I've already lost one hen to egg-bind, so I know it's not that. These ladies are looking great, eating fine, roaming the yard. Every thing seems fine, but still no eggs. Oh, the Cochin did go through about a week of shedding feathers everywhere, but that seems over too.

So far the advice I've gotten is: 1. I need a rooster and 2. They need a heatlamp in their coop. I don't know, I live in California. It is NOT that cold here even on the coldest days. Some days are very warm and others are cold and wet. And I live in city limits and can't have a rooster. They have a clean, warm coop and get plenty of food and water.

What else could be causing this egg strike?

 

[thechickenchick]

I wish I could tell you! Mine are on strike too. I can tell you that getting a rooster will not make a difference. There seem to be a lot of BYC members having this issue right now. Time of the year maybe? Some say if you provide 14 hours of light (not the same as heat lamp) that should help. I have not tried that yet. I have 20 or so hens and have been getting 0-3 eggs daily for over a month!

 

[MaggieRae]

Both the shortening of the days (it's basically a winter break) and if the chicken is molting (because they're throwing their nutrients into new feathers, rather than eggs) can cause a drop in egg production. I don't really know what's going on, but those are two things to consider.

 

[NatalieB]

Wish I knew! I have 30 birds and get 0-3 eggs per day!I am going to bring my bbq around back soon! I have a light on a timer too...hasn't seemed to make a bit of difference.

 

[cybercat]

For you it is not winter or light. But the moult is what it is for the one bird. Are you sure both did not moult? Try increasing protien if you are feeding a low protien diet of 16% goto 20%. That usually kicks starts them. I only feed my duel purpose chickens 20% because they are a bigg breed and need it.