21,16 month old chickens where laying but for the past 6 months I'm lucky to get an egg a day!

[chickery-do]

sI have 10 NH Reds and 10 Australorps and a Amercana Rooster. From the time they were ready to slay they were on the go! Then about 6 months ago I'm lucky to get 3 eggs a day. It's more like only one per day. There feed hasn't changed except there getting a little more cracked corn on those days that we had it in the low teens and less and they have a light that's on with a timer for 12 hr's a day and it's 2 red lights that are on a thermostatic to keep them warm. They have two dusting baths and are not molting. I have 11 Pekin Ducks that give me 10 eggs a day! But I don't have as big of a request for there aggs as I go for the chicken. I do offer them a container of oster shells and grits. There are ceramic eggs in there nesting boxes to remind them of there duties. The only other thing I can think of doing is to remove the rooster but he was raised with them so he is nothing new to the deal. Everything is the same as always except the weather. Can anyone suggest something that I have forgotten to do?

 

[rebrascora]

It is perfectly normal for hens to stop laying and moult in their second autumn. Moulting can take anywhere from 3 weeks to several months. Once moult is over, it takes time for them to recover body condition and that is normally the time when the days are shortest. Your lights in the coop being red, will not stimulate the pineal gland to produce hormones, so it will not trigger them to resume laying in itself, but now that the days are naturally getting longer, their production should start to pick up. This is one of the reasons why commercial egg producers clear out their poultry houses and replace with pullets which usually lay through their first winter.
Your girls will resume laying soon and will lay right through the spring and summer but they will probably take a slightly longer break next autumn/winter....

People don't realise that eggs are seasonal produce and you need to create artificial conditions in order to improve their productivity through the winter. Also the corn you are providing is diluting the protein content of their feed which means they will get fat but not productive. Egg production needs protein and too much corn can be detrimental to their health.
Best to have pullets coming through each year to keep the egg supply going during the winter and provide supplemental lighting probably starting in November and gradually increasing each week to make the days seem longer. Artificial lighting coming on in the morning is better than the evening as the light suddenly going out can leave birds unable to get up onto the roosts.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Regards

Barbara

 

[aart]

Are the birds 16 months old now...or 6 months ago(so now 22 months old)??
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
...pics would help.
Do you free range?
What kind of feed?
...look at protein content on tag sewn into bottom of bag.

 

[chickery-do]

It is perfectly normal for hens to stop laying and moult in their second autumn. Moulting can take anywhere from 3 weeks to several months. Once moult is over, it takes time for them to recover body condition and that is normally the time when the days are shortest. Your lights in the coop being red, will not stimulate the pineal gland to produce hormones, so it will not trigger them to resume laying in itself, but now that the days are naturally getting longer, their production should start to pick up. This is one of the reasons why commercial egg producers clear out their poultry houses and replace with pullets which usually lay through their first winter.
Your girls will resume laying soon and will lay right through the spring and summer but they will probably take a slightly longer break next autumn/winter....

People don't realise that eggs are seasonal produce and you need to create artificial conditions in order to improve their productivity through the winter. Also the corn you are providing is diluting the protein content of their feed which means they will get fat but not productive. Egg production needs protein and too much corn can be detrimental to their health.
Best to have pullets coming through each year to keep the egg supply going during the winter and provide supplemental lighting probably starting in November and gradually increasing each week to make the days seem longer. Artificial lighting coming on in the morning is better than the evening as the light suddenly going out can leave birds unable to get up onto the roosts.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Regards

Barbara

 

[chickery-do]

I do have a light on for them but I forgot to mention it in the article. It's a 60 watt light for a 8 x 11 foot area. There is a window on the EAST window and the south window if that helps. The light turns on at 6am to 7pm but Thanks to all the rest of the info!

 

[chickery-do]

Are the birds 16 months old now...or 6 months ago(so now 22 months old)??
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
...pics would help.
Do you free range?
What kind of feed?
...look at protein content on tag sewn into bottom of bag.

I have an 8x11 ft shed with a 60 watt bulb that runs from 6am-7pm
There run is 22 x 22 x 30 but since I purchased a great pryyennes they don't leave the gate unless she comes into the house. She always puts them back into there chain link yard. The opened yard has an electric fence so we don't worry about bears and some as usual. I've had three bears just two ft from me and my hubby was lucky enough to shoot the eye out of a rabid fox that was on one end of our 4 x 8 ft rolling tractor. I was at the handle moving it when we saw him limping over to see me! Luckly, he had a gun just 4 ft from him so he shot at him and it went into his eye and out his other side behind the ear. I was never so happy not to have those shots! Before we had the elec. fence my hubby was working in the shed that held the angora rabbits. He had to get a tool in the garage 400 ft away and on his way back he caught the bear eating one of the four rabbit inners he was enjoying. One of the cages he had opened had five six week olds in it along with the mother. It was a blessing that the mother was able to save two of them along with herself! She was such a jewel to her kits along as with us. She would let us hold her for and hour w/o doing her duties! And she just loved being petted that I would bring her in to watch tv with us on the couch! God, I miss my angora rabbits soo much! Out of them all I had a silkie, an Amercana and a few of my Angora Rabbits other than my cats n dogs that have really left a mark on my life!
Tractor Suppy sells us Dumor, tag is missing

Are the birds 16 months old now...or 6 months ago(so now 22 months old)??
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
...pics would help.
Do you free range? Yes, when I can
What kind of feed? Tractor Supply-Dumor feed
...look at protein content on tag sewn into bottom of bag.

-Was missing

 

[aart]

Space sounds good.

But what about age?

Are the birds 16 months old now...or 6 months ago(so now 22 months old)??

 

[Folly's place]

I'm seeing two issues here.
Dumor layer plus corn isn't a great diet for them, and now that they aren't producing eggs, it's way too high in calcium. And too low in protein.
Hens need close to sixteen hours of light per day to stay in lay over winter, so next year plan on that timer lighting the coop from 3am to 8am instead. If it's a cool white LED bulb, that's not okay either. They need the warmer spectrum.
Any health issues? Mites or lice? Respiratory disease? Have a fecal checked at the veterinarian's too.
Mary