Where's my eggs?
For the past 3 months, very spotty laying. Some days 4 eggs out of 4 hens (they're in their second summer). Many days 1 or 0! I had pretty much given up on the girls laying, thinking it the Georgia heat, and verrrrrry slow molting. Day before yesterday I got two eggs, then caught the feral cat eating one egg in the run, and later in the very late afternoon, a third egg for total 4. Yesterday (cat has been taken to pound) zero, today zero. DH has been whining about having to eat store bought eggs, DS1 looks sad that he can't take eggs back to his dorm to share with his room mates, DS2 just won't eat. So sad.
So what else is eating the eggs or do I believe they are laying nothing? There is every kind of wildlife here for Georgia (except black bears). Birds get plenty of water, changed daily; Purina Layena pellets plus oyster shell and grit, almost daily free ranging under supervision, 1/2 to 1 cup sunflower seed as treat, Occasional red pepper in feed, occasional dinner leftovers. Fort Knox Coop is being built: bigger, stronger, faster (to clean). No mites.
Other than sitting outside the nest boxes all day long, what would help right now? Daylight is still pretty long here, I had plenty of eggs all winter last winter. Are the girls just too old? (these are my first chickens, I knowlingly made pets not to eat as trade for them teaching me - next ones will just be chickens, or so I plan).
For the past 3 months, very spotty laying. Some days 4 eggs out of 4 hens (they're in their second summer). Many days 1 or 0! I had pretty much given up on the girls laying, thinking it the Georgia heat, and verrrrrry slow molting. Day before yesterday I got two eggs, then caught the feral cat eating one egg in the run, and later in the very late afternoon, a third egg for total 4. Yesterday (cat has been taken to pound) zero, today zero. DH has been whining about having to eat store bought eggs, DS1 looks sad that he can't take eggs back to his dorm to share with his room mates, DS2 just won't eat. So sad.
So what else is eating the eggs or do I believe they are laying nothing? There is every kind of wildlife here for Georgia (except black bears). Birds get plenty of water, changed daily; Purina Layena pellets plus oyster shell and grit, almost daily free ranging under supervision, 1/2 to 1 cup sunflower seed as treat, Occasional red pepper in feed, occasional dinner leftovers. Fort Knox Coop is being built: bigger, stronger, faster (to clean). No mites.
Other than sitting outside the nest boxes all day long, what would help right now? Daylight is still pretty long here, I had plenty of eggs all winter last winter. Are the girls just too old? (these are my first chickens, I knowlingly made pets not to eat as trade for them teaching me - next ones will just be chickens, or so I plan).
