Will hens take a break from laying in summer?

[ChikeeMomma]

Just wondering if my girls are on hiatus right now. I was getting about 9 eggs a day and now I am getting 3 to 4 eggs a day. This has been going on for almost a week. Should I be worried about an egg eater? I see no signs of it. They usually do free range, but I have had them in the coop and run all day for the past week because we planted some grass seed in some bare spots in the yard. So are they punishing me

for not being able to free range right now. They are fed a locally made nonmedicated laying mash that has 18% protein and has oyster shell already mixed in. So any ideas?

 

[cmom]

Heat can affect their laying. Maybe they are going through a molt. Mine sometimes go through mini molts where I will see some feathers in the nest boxes mostly. I was averaging 6 eggs per week per bird. Not to long ago I was averaging 5 eggs per week per bird for about a month. The have picked it up some. My birds are not broody.

 

[onthespot]

Maybe dust them for mites too. I had a mite problem and my egg production dropped off. Dusted them really well two weeks in a row and egg production picked back up about two weeks later. PS mine are molting too.

 

[gritsar]

Probably stressed out by you locking them up when they are used to free ranging. Did the egg production go down about the same time?
High heat can decrease egg production too.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Maybe they are in a mini molt because I have noticed some extra feathers around the coop. I haven't dusted for mites, but I do check frequently at night for the little critters. I actually just checked tonight. I look their face and vent over and lift up feathers around the bird (use a flashlight). Haven't noticed any lice, either.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Forgot to say that it has been a cool summer here -- high 70s compared to high 80s to low 90s in a usual summer. Egg production had dropped off after keeping them in the coop and run. Before we planted grass seed, they would free range at least 6-8 hours a day and now they have only been out for an hour or so when I could be right out with them before dusk. I wanted to make sure that they were not getting into the grass seed. Hubby would be mad! The grass is growing now so hopefully when we get back from vacation, I'll be able to let them out again.

 

[enderwig]

My egg laying usually decreases right about now every year. Here in southeast texas, its been 98-105 degrees every day for quite awhile, I always assumed the heat eventually gets to them and they slow down egg production. For me, it usually picks back up in September sometime.

 

[spotman47]

In The Last Ten Days My Egg Laying Has Droped Also Thought It Was The Change In Food But I Know One Is Molting For Sure Lots Of Feathers. Is It Normal For Them To Stay In There Roost All Day When Molting One Does'nt Seem To Budge And She The Big Momma Of The Flock The Rest Of Them Are Just Sort Of Hanging Around Like They Don't Know What To Do While She's Just Siting There On Her Roost She Seems Healthy ? What Are The Symontoms Of Mites ?