Hens are on strike

[StonyGarden]

I have 20 hens and 2 roosters.

I am getting maybe 8 eggs a day. Usually less.

They are about a year old. Is it time for them to molt?

They have a full feeder 24/7, 2 full waterers 24/7 and recently I have let them have access out of their normal fenced run into another smaller attached run that was full of grass. I've had to kick them out of that run yesterday so they wouldn't eat it bare.

I'm half tempted to cull the entire flock and start over with the chicks I've hatched.

Thoughts?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since they are just a year old, they probably laid through the winter without taking a break. They may just be tired. It's fairly normal for a hen to slow down or even stop production, sometimes go through a mini-molt, after they have been laying for about a year, though usually a year and a few months. Egg quality can suffer some too. Egg whites get thinner or maybe the shells can get thin or otherwise funky. Blood spots tend to increase. They will slow down until they finally get a good system cleansing molt in the fall, though their production may pick back up some after a mini-molt. That's why commercial egg operations force a molt after a year or so of production. When egg production drops to abut 60% of peak it's time to force a molt.

Second thought: Were they hiding a nest in that new run? Has your production suddenly rebounded since you took them out of there?

Third thought: Is something getting some of the eggs? How steady is that 8 a day? The only things I can think of that will make the entire egg disappear without leaving a trace are fox, dog, coyote, raccoon, or snake. Your run probably keeps the first three out and a fox or coyote would be likely to go for a hen. Who knows what a dog will do? Does your dog have access and has it learned the egg song is an invitation to a treat? A raccoon will often carry the eggs away to a safe place to eat them, but usually not that far. You should find a pile of egg shells within 30 feet or so if it is a raccoon. A snake will come every three or four days, eat 2 to 5 eggs or however much it can depending on size, and digest those before it comes back for more. I think I've got a snake problem right now since my production is pretty sporatic. I just can't catch him.

Chickens often get upset with change. As little sense as it makes, opening that new run up to them may have been enough change to slow production in some of them. That should sort itself out in a week or two unless that change helps start a mini-molt. I really don't think this is it though.

During extreme weather, like hot, chickens will often cut back on laying. Chickens don't handle really hot weather that well. It can stress them out. A drop in production in hot weather is not unusual.

I've had a problem this year where my hens keep going broody. Every one of them has gone through the broody buster at least once. That messes with their laying. I had so many broody or getting over being broody or setting on eggs that I was down to one or two eggs a day out of seven hens for a while. I'm still not all the way back. Right now four is a good day.

I know you want the hens to work for their feed, but I'd suggest patience. It may be a temporary glitch and they will pick back up pretty soon.

 

[StonyGarden]

Thanks Ridgerunner. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now. I do know that I have several egg eaters but I was assuming they were eating one or two eggs a day not 10. My coop/run is dog/coon/coyote proof (and if they did manage to get in it would be noticeable with busted fencing). A snake is possible though I haven't seen any.

I opened up the added run hoping that they would start laying after eating some nice greens and bugs. There is a sizeable dog house in that run that is open to them to lay in if they wanted. I checked it daily when the run was open.

Patience. . . I think you are asking too much

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd have absolutely no patience with egg eaters. It's pretty normal for a chicken to eat an egg that is already opened. I don't consider that an egg eater. When a chicken learns to open an egg to eat it is when you have an egg eater. Opening eggs to eat them can be learned behavior. Your egg eater may have taught enough of the others to open eggs that you may be losing a lot more than you know.

If you can figure out which ones are opening the eggs, I strongly suggest you get rid of them right now. Or build roll-away nests so the eggs roll to where the chicken can't get to them to eat them. That means you will never be able to have a hen hatch with the flock though. You'll have to isolate any broody you want to hatch. Here's a link to roll-away nest designs.

Opa’s Rollaway Nest Box
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

 

[baymule]

Haha @Ridgerunner !!! I was going to post Opa's thread until I read further down and you already did it!

StonyGarden, I finally got the formula down for continuous eggs. I add 6 pullets every spring. They start laying in the fall, the 6 newest are still laying and the 6 oldest molt. The 6 oldest-oldest go to freezer camp. But.......then there are the ones I get attached to....... just can't send them to freezer camp. So, while it works pretty good, it is not foolproof.

 

[so lucky]

I know I have egg eaters in my bunch, but I don't have any evidence that they break them on purpose. I have that one worthless chicken that lays thin-shelled eggs--sometimes the egg is almost completely gone, but just as often the yolk is still intact. Most of the time it is just a yellow gooey mess in the nest box, smashed flat due to being laid on. Occasionally one of the chickens is caught yellow-beaked (red-handed). I don't have the guts to dispose of the defective chicken.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When it comes to stuff like that I can be pretty ruthless. A good friend once said that about me in regard to the chickens. I took it as a compliment.

I also bring in pullets every year, overwinter the previous years pullets, and eat the oldest ones when they start the molt. Keeps the flock fresh and I don't pay for too many to eat while they molt and don't lay eggs. The ones I do keep through the first adult molt like that lay some really nice eggs when they crank up again. It's sometimes surprising how much bigger they get after a good molt.

 

[StonyGarden]

I was planning to do a half-of-the-flock (10 hens, 1 rooster) cull in August (Break in between semesters of school). I have 12 7 week old chicks in a separate coop/run. They will be my replacements.

 

[baymule]

One of my Red Stars also lays those thin shelled eggs. If I knew which one, she would be in the soup pot.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

you mention they are getting food 24/7 and it sounds like they've been penned in a lot too. could they be getting fat? are they getting enough exercise? are you having any issues with hot temps outside? i know my girls may cut back for a couple days when it gets hot.

oh, and molts tend to happen around 9 and 18 months of age so they may be a little early to start going through their molt.