Why have my girls stopped laying?!

[ADKChickenChick]

We have 23 girls and 2 roosters all living together in a 8x12' coop...the one seen in my profile image. We have an attached run that is 12x36' that they access through a tunnel from underneath the coop. They are fed cracked corn and layer mash, given oyster shell free choice, and are fed various treats regularly. We have 8 nesting boxes in our coop...all with burlap "curtains". Our chickens are currently all 10 months old from McMurray Hatchery as chicks. We have been getting eggs regularly since February, but only have ever averaged 4-6 per day. About two weeks ago we got as many as 8-10 on days, but this last week they have seemed to stop laying. We have been getting 1-3 a day with 23 hens!

We have asked veteran farmers we know and they seem to think our problem is stress caused by the roosters over mating the girls...but they have tons of room, adequate feed, and the ratio of roosters to hens doesn't seem to be off. If we need to get rid of a rooster to get our egg production up, we aren't opposed to that. I just don't want something else to be off and do away with one of the boys for no reason...I like their country song

What do you all think? Is our problem the roosters or do you have any other ideas of something that could be halting our girls production?

 

[Tuhmu]

I don't see the roosters as a problem if you just have the two. I personally thing they are starting to molt, are any of them losing feathers or have loose looking feathers? I had the same trouble with 3 of my easter eggers that I had received from mcmurray, they started molting when they were around that same age.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hello & welcome,

They could definitely be heading into a molt. You don't say what breeds you have? Some are less productive than others, other than that, you seem to have everything in place.

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Thank you both for the quick posts! I didn't see two roosters holding 23 hens from laying either...but I'm a new chicken mother .

As for breeds - we have New Hampshire Reds, Light Brahmas, Barred Rocks, and a handful of Easter Eggers. Our roosters are both Speckled Sussex. I haven't noticed any feather loss...I'll have to check closer.

We have also recently (the last 7 days or so) switched to a new layer mash...but they seem to be loving it!

 

[Tuhmu]

They don't have access to free ranging do they? or anyplace they can hid in their coop? A lot of times they will find a place where they thing they are being sneaky and lay there eggs, well monkey see monkey do.

Right now my girls have to stay locked in their run till I get home, because the majority of them decided they should lay their eggs between this board I have in front of an unused door in my goat barn. Another group decided they should lay their eggs in the grass next to a fence post. And then theres my special polish girl (a little cuckoo you could say) who cant seem to figure out the purpose of the nest box and just lays her egg under it on the ground.

 

[ADKChickenChick]

I've found an egg or two on a hay bail in the coop...but not really anywhere they can hide them in the run. It's all open and easy to see the area. No free ranging in our neck of the woods...and they are laying what eggs we do get right in the boxes. I'm stumped which is why I turned to BYC. Good though though, LeviS...thanks!

 

[donrae]

If your hens aren't having bald backs or heads, they're probably okay. How is their behavior during mating? Is there screaming, resistance to the rooster, fighting, things like that? Or do you really not even know when they're mating? I'm thinking the latter, as the former is pretty apparent as a rule. If things are quiet, it's not the roosters. Then again, an easy way to check is to just pull one or both roosters out for a few days and see how production does. But, I don't think that's the issue.

I can see the Brahmas not being spectacular layers, but the New Hamps and Rocks should be hitting peak production levels, and the EE should be pretty good, too.

Any chance of a predator taking the eggs? Are the hen's combs red and plump?

I'd be pretty unhappy, too...that's a lot of freeloading going on!

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Thanks, Donrae! As I like to spend a lot of down time watching the run (it's a sickness) I do see some mating going on. There isn't any screaming or anything like that. Sometimes the hens will get up after the mating and try to nab the rooster...sometimes the larger more dominant hens chase off before the rooster is able to pin the down. No one seems unhappy though. They all mingle together, digging and scratching...I personally don't think this is the problem either. My hens were consistently increasing production until this past week. As I said, I did change food within the last 7-10 days. Would this cause such a dramatic change in laying? My brahmas actually lay just as well as my reds and rocks, but they are much bigger. Poor girls have a rough time getting their bottoms up on the roosts and in the boxes sometimes!

I don't think a predator is the issue. The coop is insulated and finished inside. It is built well and the nesting boxes are off the floor inside quite a bit....even higher from the outside access door. We've never had any predator problems since the get go. I wondered if we had an eater or two, just because of the drop off. We do still find eggs though...even if just one or two. I don't think that's my problem either. We even occasionally find an egg inside in the hay...that would be the prime target for an eater it would seem.

The hens all have red combs, appear healthy, run around, chatter, and scratch. They approach me when I come to visit...everyone seems in good spirits. Strange, but I really appreciate all the ideas and help figuring this all out! Keep it coming

 

[SavageDestiny]

Pic up some of the girls and run your fingers backwards through the feathers near the top of their heads. If you see pin feathers coming in they are molting! My EE did this to me recently... she had a stealth molt. Never visibly showed, I had to really look!

 

[boskelli1571]

Any chance you could have a snake hiding somewhere?? They will eat the eggs and they are quite difficult to spot. Check rafters etc.