Barred Rock Egg Production

[Sophia V]

I have 3 Barred Rocks that are just over 2 years old. When I received them July 4th, 2 years ago, they were coop ready, but not laying.
They were laying age in mid winter, California winter.

My question is this, I noticed a drop in egg production, when it refers to a 2 year egg production "life; is it 2 years from when they start laying or 2 years chronological?

I'm averaging maybe 3-4 eggs a week at this time. They go into the nesting box, but just sit and do not lay. They are not brooding, because they come out to eat, dust bath, forage, etc.

Should I give the hens to someone so they can be brooders? Sit on eggs for hatching.

 

[swamphiker]

3-4 eggs/week sounds about right for a 2-year-old barred rock. The exact timing and rate of decrease will depend on on the individual.

Barred rocks don't tend to go broody, so I doubt they would make good broody hens.

Different people handle their older hens differently. I add new chicks to my flock every year or two to make up for the lower production of the older hens. Some people give away or slaughter their older hens.

 

[Sophia V]

3-4 eggs/week sounds about right for a 2-year-old barred rock. The exact timing and rate of decrease will depend on on the individual.

Barred rocks don't tend to go broody, so I doubt they would make good broody hens.

Different people handle their older hens differently. I add new chicks to my flock every year or two to make up for the lower production of the older hens. Some people give away or slaughter their older hens.

I won't slaughter and I'm limited to 4 hens in my city. I'm not getting that per hen. I have 3 and am gettingng about 3 eggs a week, total. Our weather is funky, we go from cool and foggy to warm and sunny almost daily. I'm close to the coast.

I have been watching for illness, stress, mites, but really don't see any. They just kind of hang out in the yard, dust bath, chill in shade, forage.

I was getting almost 3 eggs every other day earlier in the year, but that dropped off when 1 hen went into a light spring molt. I'm now seeing some feathers, but think it is too early for a fall molt. But not sure.

 

[MountainWoman73]

Normal for egg production to fluctuate. Sometimes hens just take breaks, and if all their breaks line up with each other, you're getting no eggs for a while.

For example: I am down to 5 adult layers at the moment. All 2-5 years old. For a month or two this spring I was getting one or no eggs a day, and if I got one it was usually Grey Lady. Now Grey Lady has been on a break for 3 weeks, and I'm getting 3 eggs a day from the other 4.

It's hard to get consistent egg production from just 4 hens. I think if you're not going to get more, you resign yourself to buying eggs sometimes.

 

[swamphiker]

I won't slaughter and I'm limited to 4 hens in my city. I'm not getting that per hen. I have 3 and am gettingng about 3 eggs a week, total. Our weather is funky, we go from cool and foggy to warm and sunny almost daily. I'm close to the coast.

I have been watching for illness, stress, mites, but really don't see any. They just kind of hang out in the yard, dust bath, chill in shade, forage.

I was getting almost 3 eggs every other day earlier in the year, but that dropped off when 1 hen went into a light spring molt. I'm now seeing some feathers, but think it is too early for a fall molt. But not sure.

Ah okay, I misunderstood and thought you meant 3-4 eggs/week/chicken, not total. That does seem low. What are you feeding them?

 

[SourRoses]

I'm curious about their diet because of the spring molt more than anything.
A 20% protein feed with oyster shell calcium on the side is the most recommended diet.

 

[Sophia V]

Ah okay, I misunderstood and thought you meant 3-4 eggs/week/chicken, not total. That does seem low. What are you feeding them?

I'm feeding them Klaumback Reserve, they will not eat crumble or pellets.
I supplement with sardines for protein, fresh for other nutrients, sometimes as a treat live composte worms and dried meal worms for treats.
The fresh usually is kale, salad greens, slaw mix, corn cob, pomegranate seeds, grass, sometimes plain rice, hemp seed. Whatever they will eat. They are picky girls. Lol I have tried some of the other foods said to be favorites of chickens, but mine won't eat them.

But now, I noticed my largest girl, not fat, big is losing her feathers. We have had a very cool and foggy summer here in Ventura, CA. May and June were mostly overcast and in the mid 60s. Now, in July we still are having foggy overcast days and Temps ranging from 68-75.

We have one had a handful of sunny days in the low 80s. I'm sure August will give us our hotter days usually 80-90 in temp and sunnier days.

Our best weather is usually in Dec to Jan where we are more sunny and sometimes can hit 80 degrees. I joke with people that we never do the "Tacky Christmas Sweater" because it is always too hot.lol

I checked last night for mites/flees, nothing. I checked for worms nothing. I checked for vent gleet, because my molting one loses her butt feathers first. Nothing that I can tell.

They are acting normal, nothing out of the norm. They are free range and pretty much own my yard. Lol

I clean up their poop at least 2 times a day and use a power washer 1 time a week with a natural kennel/stable solution.

They devour my white roses and lipstick Salvia. If they could get to my grape tomatoes, they would be gone too. But I do give them a treat of our grape tomatoes a couple times a week. They literally come running when they see me go out to harvest them.

That is it in a nutshell.

 

[Sophia V]

My girls

 

[Sophia V]

Normal for egg production to fluctuate. Sometimes hens just take breaks, and if all their breaks line up with each other, you're getting no eggs for a while.

For example: I am down to 5 adult layers at the moment. All 2-5 years old. For a month or two this spring I was getting one or no eggs a day, and if I got one it was usually Grey Lady. Now Grey Lady has been on a break for 3 weeks, and I'm getting 3 eggs a day from the other 4.

It's hard to get consistent egg production from just 4 hens. I think if you're not going to get more, you resign yourself to buying eggs sometimes.

Thank you. Sounds like they are doing just that, a hiatus. They did have a run a earlier in the year where I was getting 2-3 eggs a day.

 

[Sophia V]

Thank you. Sounds like they are doing just that, a hiatus. They did have a run a earlier in the year where I was getting 2-3 eggs a day.

I started to keep a log to see if I find any patterns. My one is starting to molt, see my response lower in the thread, so that could be what is starting about now.