Why less eggs than normal?

11hens

In the Brooder
Mar 29, 2015
17
1
26
KY
We have 9 hens, and at least 6 are laying. They are 25 weeks old. We had been getting 5-6 eggs a day... And in the last week we have only been getting 4. I did notice that we has a shell less egg (messy!) in one of the nesting boxes, and a soft shell on our front porch. (2 different days). I am just wondering if I should be concerned about their health or am I just over thinking this... Everyone seems happy and healthy. The breeds that are laying are Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Red, Dominique, silver laced Wyandotte, and one speckled Sussex. We have 2 speckles and a salon favrolle that we are unsure of their laying progress... Any advice please!
 
It's autumn. The days are shorter. Maybe it's seasonal. But I would be concerned about the shelless egg. Do you offer oyster shell to supplement their feed?
 
As long as you have oyster shell available for them, I wouldn't worry. The days are getting shorter now, and the amount of daylight will affect egg production.
 
Thank you for the responses! We found out what was going on... We cooped them for a few days and got all of our eggs... So I investigated. They had been laying under the coop! The daytime temps were averaging 85-95 and humid at the time, so I guess the coop was to warm (even with the doors and windows open!). Lots of rotten eggs were found, eventually!
 
Tho it might be too hot in your area to try this:

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers.
Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests.
They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon.
You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it.
 
I was just looking around to see if i could figure out what to do about my bantam chickens! I have one hen and one rooster of the bantams that refuse to go in the coop at night & my hen has stopped laying eggs in the coop! Ive searched everywhere and can't find any of her eggs! She was laying good inside the boxes until a possum got in the coop and ate her eggs! It got 2 batches of them so i put out live traps and caught it which is how I figured out what was getting in there! I have since repaired all possible entryways, cleaned all the boxes and restocked them with poplar chips but the most she has done is get in one of the boxes and made a little spot...that was a couple of weeks ago and still no eggs! It's been over a month now since shes laid any! Has anybody ever seen them build a nest in a tree? Theres a nest right beside where her and the rooster roost at night (in the top of a tree between the house and the coop)! I havent actually seen her in the nest so i don't know that its hers!
I do like the idea of trapping them in the coop for a couple of days to retrain them because winter is coming and there will be more predators out as food in the wild becomes scarce and i don't like the thought of them being out at night!
 
I was just looking around to see if i could figure out what to do about my bantam chickens! I have one hen and one rooster of the bantams that refuse to go in the coop at night & my hen has stopped laying eggs in the coop! Ive searched everywhere and can't find any of her eggs! She was laying good inside the boxes until a possum got in the coop and ate her eggs! It got 2 batches of them so i put out live traps and caught it which is how I figured out what was getting in there! I have since repaired all possible entryways, cleaned all the boxes and restocked them with poplar chips but the most she has done is get in one of the boxes and made a little spot...that was a couple of weeks ago and still no eggs! It's been over a month now since shes laid any! Has anybody ever seen them build a nest in a tree? Theres a nest right beside where her and the rooster roost at night (in the top of a tree between the house and the coop)! I havent actually seen her in the nest so i don't know that its hers!
I do like the idea of trapping them in the coop for a couple of days to retrain them because winter is coming and there will be more predators out as food in the wild becomes scarce and i don't like the thought of them being out at night!

Stress can cause them to quit laying. How old is she? The stress of the opossum could have put her into a molt.

If they are outside at night, they won't be alive long. They need to be in the coop.
 
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Stress can cause them to quit laying.  How old is she?  The stress of the opossum could have put her into a molt.

If they are outside at night, they won't be alive long.  They need to be in the coop.


Im not quite sure how old they r! I got them from a friend tho so i will try to find out! They've been roosting at night in that tree pretty much since i got them bk in mid summer but i agree! I don't want them sleeping out there in the winter...if a predator doesn't get them the cold will! Ive been trying to lure them in at night but no luck so far! I think if i can get them in for their afternoon siesta today, im gonna lock em up in there for a couple of days and see if that works!
 

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