Not sure what's going on, at the end of my rope...

[ebonykawai]

So last week my one hen decided to go broody. I've been trying to break her but it's not working, so...whatever. Obviously, she's not laying.

But....my egg production suddenly went down. I was getting 8-9 eggs a day from 10 hens. Now it's down to 5. No clue why, nothing has changed except for the one hen going broody. Seems like as soon as that happened, I'm getting less eggs than I should if you just subtract the one hen. These are all young hens, all just over a year, breeder birds who matured very slowly. There's no way they should be slowing down at all.

Does anyone have any ideas?? I've walked my entire property and don't see any eggs anywhere. They have always laid in the nest boxes. I'm thinking of locking them all in the coop/run tomorrow and see what egg production looks like at the end of the day.

I'm getting really frustrated by everything. Not enjoying chicken-keeping very much anymore.

 

[gritsar]

MM Ebony! Good to see ya around.
I'm experiencing the same thing you are and I have walked this property multiple times as well.
I did leave them locked up in the coop one day and my production went back up. I know they're hiding them somewhere, but I'll be darned if I can find them.
I hear broody is "catching".
Good luck to you and blessings!

 

[Picky Chicky]

Ooooooh I can SO relate! My Japanese banty insisted on going broody - she was going to hatch something come hellor high water! I finally gave her some fertilized eggs (from a friend) to sit on and she hatched all 6 of those stinkers!

Anyways, when she went broody my other banty hen stopped laying (even though she had no interest in sitting), and then my other girls followed suit. I was at 4/5 eggs a day (5 chickens) and now I'm lucky to get 1 or 2 a day.

Lazy hens!

 

[ebonykawai]

MM Gritsar! Wow, how frustrating, huh?? I'm not sure what I'm going to do if that's the case. They range for a good portion of the day. I guess I'll leave them in until most of the laying seems done, maybe 3pm? That's when they would normally be in until, anyway, but when I got laid off in March, I started letting them out early. They were doing great, right up until my one hen went broody. Maybe she's not letting them in the nest they prefer??? I kick her out early, though, and put her in chicken jail so she doesn't block the nest.

This is SOOO frustrating!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here's a site that can tell you some possibilities. Something on here might give you a clue if it is something else, but I'm betting on them hiding a nest. If one starts laying in a nest out there, several will join in. To me, the other strong possibilities are an egg eating chicken or an egg eating predator of some type.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/34.html

Good luck!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Or Ridgerunner could volunteer to come to your place and mine and look in the creepy crawly places I don't wanna go in to check.

 

[ebonykawai]

Thanks! I'm going to keep them in tomorrow and see what happens. We don't have any predators out here, so I know it's not that. They've either stopped out of sympathy for the broody hen, or are laying on the property somewhere.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Gritsar,
I am not a young handsome Police Officer and my eyes are not blue. They're green. And you're getting married. Behave.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Gritsar,
I am not a young handsome Police Officer and my eyes are not blue. They're green. And you're getting married. Behave.

 

[ebonykawai]

Oh gees, right, CONGRATS!!!! You're almost a married person!! Me and hubby are celebrating 20 years this August. Times flies when you're crazy, lol!