We have not gotten more than one or two eggs a day now for the last couple of weeks. The girls get food, layer feed, snacks, they just arn't laying. We have more than 40 hens that should be laying so one or two eggs just ain't cuttin it. I've threatened them with chicken soup, but they think I mean I'll feed them chicken soup (spoiled, spoiled, spoiled).
Usually when the weather gets cooler they start laying better, no such luck, I think they are on strike.
ARGH! 1 or 2 eggs a day, what is wrong with these chickens.
Are you sure something isn't stealing the eggs? I have a couple of hungry snakes that can empty a nest daily.
Nope, we have several pens (different breeds) and not a one of them are laying. The hens arn't even getting in the nests, and we check throughout the day.
I have the same issue. A dozen hens and 1-2 eggs a day. Are americana really late in maturing sufficiently to lay? Mine haven't laid an egg yet and they are 6.5mo old now.
Tam
I think my Ameraucanas started laying at 5 1/2 or 6 months, don't give up yet.
Tammy, don't give up but you are absolutely right. They should be laying by now.
Isn't it interesting, Smedge I remember last year when it seemed that birds all over were not laying. Some were getting only a smattering for a couple months. Do you remember that. I don't get it. We have alway gotten plenty of eggs here year round. I only have eight standards now as I have gotten out of the business of raising and selling. I have been regularly getting six or seven eggs a day from that small flock.
I had the funniest thing happen today. A former customer called me and asked if I would please come and get that stupid rooster I sold her that was supposed to be a hen. I told her she was a hen, she was a mature bird and should be laying. She assured me it was not a hen but in fact had been crowing for the last ten days and she wanted it out of there as she is in the city. I went right down to pick it up and give her a refund or a replacement. Upon arrival I assured her the girl was a hen, she said you don't know your chickens it has been crowing and I told her is was unusual but her hen was behaving as a rooster and would quit soon and start laying. She told me I was crazy and she wanted no money back, no replacement, she just wanted it gone...Of course I obliged and took the hen and left. The hen laid an egg on the way home in the carrier. I took and email pic and sent it to her and asked if she wanted it back...She laughed and said nice try Haystack...no thanks...That is exactly what happened...talk about things that are just to funny. I now have and extra hen. Anyone need a good layer...LOL. Hay
I have eight Brahmas and they are only laying 3-4 eggs daily right now. Most of them have finished molting, just a couple are still dropping feathers. Not that I'm complaining. I bought them as I thought Brahmas were not the best layers in the world and we wanted some eggs but mostly entertaining hens to watch. 3-4 eggs daily was more what I was expecting. Before the moulting started, though, they were laying 9-10 eggs daily despite the heat of summer.
Just thought I'd put my two cents worth in just in case this is some sort of chickendom-wide trend.....
Hay that is too funny. I think I'll send ALL my girls to you, maybe you can get them to lay eggs, lol
You want them to crow too?
If they lay eggs, let em crow....at least for a day or two :)
I have 29 laying hens and am only getting between 6 and 11 eggs a day,my customers have to wait and I`m sure they don`t like that but they understand.Some are 3 years old some are to young to lay and some just started and some are molting,so I know the reasons for it.
I am in the same boat, out of 30+ with 8 of them too young to lay, I am lucky to get 4 to 5 eggs a day.
Haystack that is too funny...
My hens are at about 75% production so I'm pretty happy as they are not all heavy laying breeds anyway. I'll make sure they don't read about the slackers.
Well porkpal maybe your hens should call my hens and tell them to get busy. So far today.....1 egg. :(
Yep pork, I am thinking that would be good if your hens can cackle to ours you know give them the heads up about the stew pot
I have eggs out the wazoo!!!! The 6 yard duck hens are giving 6 a day, 1 goose has been laying a eggs every other day for the last 2 months, all 5 Marans are laying one almost every day, both my silkies have been giving one a day until Tuesday when one went broody and as of today both are broody, some of my araucana are just starting to lay, others are just coming out of brooding for me. I think it is because they are getting some coolness after a long hot summer
forgot to say I brought 5 dozen to my Dr. Wednesday and everyone in the office was thrilled
This message was edited Oct 15, 2010 3:47 PM
Donna I don't think we should let our girls talk to the slackers; they might be a bad influence.
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!
I was wondering the same thing ? my 8 laying hens are not doing diddley squat ? only one hen is laying ?
what is up with that ? some went through a molt but shouldn't they be laying by this time ? 3 months later ?
maybe ist the moon ?
Hay that is too funny on your rooster that laid an egg. LOL *giggle*
I know if you don`t have the extra light in your coop that has a lot to do with the laying,I gave mine 14 hrs and they still are not laying good.
I got 3 eggs yesterday! Woo hoo... I have not had a single green egg from my four americana's but I am getting brown eggs from the other 7 hens. (2 are really old bantum's - I get one egg a week between the two of them).
Tam
Fixing to feed mine red pepper like my grandma did..it works for me..
We got 6 eggs yesterday, yippee. I think I'll try the red pepper.
Red pepper, hugh? Just the kind from the grocery store? I'm mixing up some layer mash tonight, I thought that might help as I've noticed that they've not been eating their crumbles like they usually do. Just mix the red pepper in with the mash?
A long wait for me until anythings gets to be laying age. That is if I even have any girls. Mine are too young to know. I am always interested in the why did the chickens stop laying discussions but I have nothing useful to add.
well.. we're getting no green eggs. I have five "easter" hens - four 7mo old Americana's and one 2.5yr old Arauracana (?sp). The little ones have not yet laid an egg that I've found. But we're getting 3 a day now from the other 5 hens.
Tam
Thinking along the lines of the cayene power, I threw some jalapenos from the garden that I didn't use up with this batch of salsa. They really went after those. We'll see what happens next!
HAYSTACKS Daughter Grey is Laying... whooo hooo... for those of you that may not know, I had a roo We named Haystack. He was a silver spangled hamburg and a wonderful gentleman. He was the Roo for my americauna and and aracauna girls, you know the colored layers. One of his daughters who is jet black lays blue, one of his daughters who is a perfect silver spangle marking and color has not layed, one of his daughters that looks like a grey americauna is laying green she just started... I looked today and while I have been gone, all the girls have started laying... I will get a final count tonight, but I am so happy Grey is laying green, and Blackie is laying blue...
how cool! May I ask how old they were when they laid their first egg?
Tam
Hay, I would love a hen that acted like a rooster, as long as she isn't climbing on my hens! What kind is she and how old? Do you think I would have a hard time incorporating her into the flock?
My seven are barely giving me 2 eggs a day. For a long time I got 5-7 eggs a day. Then this summer they started slowing down and I'm beween 1-3, altho I did get 4 yesterday and the day before. Today I got 1. I checked only at 2pm so there may be more out there, but I'm not gonna go out and see til tomorrow.
Both of his daughters that are laying are 6 months along with a white leghorn that was hatched with them as well. I have given some wild game bird that I feed my turkeys to the Jet black one, as she is in with the turkeys and she started laying about a month ago, earlier than the rest I chalk that up to the turkey mix. So I started giving handfuls to all the others to get them thru the molt and to help the other girls start... I think Polka Dot (The silver hamburg colored) is still mad at me since I entered her in the fair and she is holding out... LOL Grey is in with the Geese as she escapes the big girl pen, and they too are getting the wild game mix... HUMMM maybe I should just switch to that for all of them.
Also, I dont know if the eggs were collected since I was gone on Thursday, but I did pick up 16 today, I will have to check with the person taking care of the girls...
I had the same problem. Sudden drop in laying. Then, I found this note scratched into the side of the coop:
"To the Chicken Owners of the World: We the chickens in your coop hereby notify you that under the International Protocol for the enactment of Fair Labor laws we are officially on strike until such time as our working conditions improve. Our demands are simple: first, we demand at least 2 days off per week, second, we demand at least one bushel of strawberries, cherries or a whole melon each at least once a month. Third, how about a heater or air conditioner? We're freezing/cooking out here while you fat cats enjoy your climate controlled houses. Fourth, we demand that those cows who keep encouraging you all to "eat mor chikin" be permanently banned from television. Finally, we would formally demand the phrase "stop being such a chicken" be removed from the english language and be replaced with "stop being such a racoon" as we have noticed they seem to flee everytime you come around while we stay put.
Govern yourselves accordingly. Chicken of the world, UNITE!"
seriously though, calcium did the trick for me once or twice. try giving them some free choice boiled egg shells or crushed oyster shell.
=D!
I got fewer than the expected number of eggs last night. The favorite nest box always has at least seven eggs in it. Last night - no eggs, just a large well-fed rat snake sleeping it off! I guess he ran out of rats to hunt - again.
I save all egg shells and crush them up and mix them in with the feed. I don't know whether it works or not but that's what my grandmother always did so it must be right.
I got 9 last night, it seems the eggs were not picked up when I was gone. I did hear a bunch of chatter in my Marian pen One roo two girls, they had not started laying. Anyhoo I thought something was out there making then go off but I did not see anything. When I went collecting, I found a egg... Great one was laying. I used the egg last night, and it was a double yolk... OHH it was good in the fried egg and turkey sandwich.... LOL
We saw a moma with 9-10 tiny babies along the road on our walk today. So cute - probably day old. She was busy clucking away, collecting them up and getting them to a safer spot. Not the best time for babies!
I do wonder if the black snake is getting some of our eggs. But you would think he'd get them all and not just the green/blue green ones. :-)
Tam
Perhaps aesthetics are important to him.