Anybody else have chickens that aren't paying their rent?

[schmije]

I've been very disappointed in my egg production for the last few months. Our 15 girls went gangbusters this spring, and we had more eggs than we've ever had. We even made a FRESH EGGS sign for our front yard and earned a few regular customers. Then the coons found us. By the time we took care of all of them (we killed 13!), our flock was down to 6, including the two roosters. We found a lady who was reducing her flock, and we bought some 4-5 month old girls (mostly BO, but also a few other breeds). This was at the end of June.

A few of them started laying, but most of them have not. We get 6-8 eggs a day from 22 girls that SHOULD be old enough to lay (we also have 2 younger ones and 2 roos for a total of 26). I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and blaming it on the heat, but they're about to lose that excuse, because it's been much cooler for the past two weeks. Has anybody else experienced a serious drop in egg production this summer? Our girls always slow down a little, but I've never seen it this bad.

 

[Smart Red]

While many chickens start laying at 5 months, some do not start until the sixth month. My girls were born May 17th of last year and didn't produce their first egg until October 30th. That's five and a half months for the first one. It was a couple more weeks before I was getting a pretty steady 7-9 eggs each day from my 10 girls.

My chicks were born May 2 and none have started laying - even the rooster isn't fully grown and crowing properly yet. I suggest you give them a little longer before reaching for the stew pot.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had a drop during the heat this summer, maybe getting 2/3 of what I was getting in the cooler spring. Our weather has cooled a bit the last week or so and Ive seen a small increase but not back to where it was during the spring. Yours have had plenty if time to get over the shock of the move and setting a new pecking order. Most of those 24 to 28 week olds should be old enough to lay, but Red is right. Some take a long time to get started, especially in rough weather.

Are you sure some are not molting due to the heat stress? I was seeing more feathers around than I should just before the heat broke. I think a few have already started molting, even the rooster. He's kind of funny looking without any tail feathers. I don't think the hens like him as much without those magnificent tail feathers either.

Another thing I'd consider. Have you checked for mites and worms. Remember that roost mites only come out in the dark so you need to check for them after dark with a flashlight. Mites and lice really thrive in the heat and they can sap enough energy to really slow them egg laying.

A couple of other things to consider. I don't know how you keep them, but are they hiding a nest or two on you? This is often a reason for slow egg production.

Is something getting the eggs? Usually if something is eating the eggs, it is kind of irregular, like a snake will only visit every three or four days so you really notice that visit. Don't ask how I know too well about that. I'd guess you don't leave eggs out overnight but it's still possible something is getting them during the day and not leaving evidence. I often see nocturnal animals out during the day, especially foxes and coyotes. But with a regular drop like this, I'd ask if you have a family dog that has access? Has Rover learned that the egg song is a call to a treat? And with something this regular, I don't totally rule out a human.

I don't like free loading hens either but before I took drastic measures I'd try a little patience. Good luck!!!!

 

[Collector]

I think you should give them awhile longer to get going before moving them to the freezer! Although it might help to show them a picture the unit LOL.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know about the value of showing them the unit Collector. I once showed them a Kentucky Fried poster and gave a pep talk at the same time. Neither helped.

 

[secuono]

I have 8 hens now, only 1-3 lay. Plus, I think something is stealing/eating them to top it... But, my ducks lay no matter what, summer or winter.

 

[wsmoak]

Same here. There are eight hens, and I get 3-4 eggs per day now. Four of the hens are older, and two of the younger ones are broody. At least I don't have to feed them very much -- they prefer to forage, and only fill up on layer pellets at the end of the day before they go to roost.

-Wendy

 

[Collector]

I don't know about the value of showing them the unit Collector. I once showed them a Kentucky Fried poster and gave a pep talk at the same time. Neither helped.

True, it may not help, but it surely couldn't hurt. It might make you feel proactive also.

 

[schmije]

Well, I'm far from threatening to put them in the freezer, but I am feeling frustrated by their lack of cooperation. We've pretty much decided that they weren't as old as we thought when we bought them. I think it was deceptive, because our original flock were all mixes of leghorn and heavy breeds. We didn't realize how small (aka. leghorn) they were, and when we brought home the new girls who were basically the same size, we took the seller at her word that they were 4-5 months old. In the month and a half that we've had them, they've drastically outgrown our original flock to the point that the BO hens are as big as the leghorn mix roos.

I've searched for other nests and even kept them cooped up for a day just to force them to lay where I can find the eggs, but it makes no difference. I'll do a check for mites, but maybe I should just relax and give them some more time.

Thanks for the sanity check, guys!

 

[desertlady]

Are they molting? they dont lay eggs well during molt.