Why aren't my chickens laying

[Artic Chick]

I have 5 barred plymoth rocks. They are 1 year old. I live in Ontario Canada. My beautiful girls layed eggs all winter. I did not put a light in their coop but did let them outside almost everyday. My run has a partial roof to keep the snow out. They layed 2-3 eggs a day. Now that our weather is really nice and our snow is gone im letting them free ranch everyday for a few hours. What puzzles me , is that their egg production has decreased. I have found a few broken eggs in the nesting boxes a few times that they have eaten, but left the shell. Could they be laying but eating them and i dont see any evidences of it. Looking for advice , if there is something I can do. Thank you

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

It sounds like you have an egg eater. I would put some fake eggs in the nesting box/boxes for awhile and collect the real eggs several times a day.....
Good luck and be well!

 

[Mtnboomer]

Have you checked around the yard? Sometimes new free rangers will lay eggs whenever the "mood strikes them." Look under bushes, porches, sheds, etc.

Changes in routine, even for the better, can alter egg laying for short periods. Maybe just wait it out and they will go back.

Also what is your daily daylight hours up there? Here in va, we are still hanging around barely 13-14hrs. 14 hours is typically the min for consistent egg production.

My gals (Brahmas) lay well through their 1st winter (when they are +/- 6mos old) but egg production drops dramatically without artificial light during their 2nd.

Now we butcher the older birds before they get to be 10 months so its not much of an issue.

 

[Artic Chick]

It sounds like you have an egg eater. I would put some fake eggs in the nesting box/boxes for awhile and collect the real eggs several times a day.....
Good luck and be well! ❤

Thank you for the advice, i tried it and it worked immediately. No more broken eggs, however, the 5 of them are still just laying 3 eggs a day. Does it take awhile to get back to full egg production after the winter. I use to get 5 a day last year.

 

[Artic Chick]

Have you checked around the yard? Sometimes new free rangers will lay eggs whenever the "mood strikes them." Look under bushes, porches, sheds, etc.

Changes in routine, even for the better, can alter egg laying for short periods. Maybe just wait it out and they will go back.

Also what is your daily daylight hours up there? Here in va, we are still hanging around barely 13-14hrs. 14 hours is typically the min for consistent egg production.

My gals (Brahmas) lay well through their 1st winter (when they are +/- 6mos old) but egg production drops dramatically without artificial light during their 2nd.

Now we butcher the older birds before they get to be 10 months so its not much of an issue.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Thank you for the advice, i tried it and it worked immediately. No more broken eggs, however, the 5 of them are still just laying 3 eggs a day. Does it take awhile to get back to full egg production after the winter. I use to get 5 a day last year.

Give them time....they will lay as long as you provide them with fortified chicken feed and oyster shell. Limit the treats.

 

[Artic Chick]

Thank you for reply. I never thought to look around the yard for eggs. We get about 13 hours daylight right now, so maybe thats the reason. Also thought that o ce they were outside more and free ranging would be better. But you are right, any change in routine, even if its good for them could throw them off. Im so new to this i dont think of the simplest answers. Thank you