Who's laying and who's not?

[lhousesoccer]

I get 4 to 6 a day from 11 hens. I used to get 8-9 a day from these same hens. I don't know why they've slowed down. About 8 of the hens are 3 years old and the rest are 2 years old. I'd like to figure out which ones are laying and if there are any that are not laying period and maybe cull them out of the flock. If they're just eating feed, and not laying eggs, I can't really afford to keep them around. Any ideas on how I can track which ones are laying? I'm not home during the day when they are sitting.

 

[Maggiesdad]

The three year olds are going to slow down... that's just nature. Figure on rotating out a third of your laying flock each year, so you're not feeding 4yo hens.

 

[lhousesoccer]

I get 4 to 6 a day from 11 hens. I used to get 8-9 a day from these same hens. I don't know why they've slowed down. About 8 of the hens are 3 years old and the rest are 2 years old. I'd like to figure out which ones are laying and if there are any that are not laying period and maybe cull them out of the flock. If they're just eating feed, and not laying eggs, I can't really afford to keep them around. Any ideas on how I can track which ones are laying? I'm not home during the day when they are sitting.

What I meant to include was, does anyone have any neat ways to figure out which ones are laying and which ones aren't?

 

[defenestration]

I've heard of a few ways from this site... one was put food colorings up/around their vents (it'll stick to the eggs)... the other involved this rather complex one-way door on the nesting boxes.

Less certain ways: ones that are laying will have less coloration in their combs and legs. This is perhaps the easiest way, but it can be uncertain. See here: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/AG_Poultry_2009-01pr.pdf