Chickens laying little to no eggs, one keeps laying thin shelled eggs

[Jessielynn21]

I'm at a loss. I have 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Easter Eggers and 1 Rhode Island Red. They are 2 1/2 years old. They were laying great all summer until the end of July. I'm only getting a couple eggs a day. When they first slowed down, it was my eggers that kept laying, now it's just down to my Barred Rocks, and sometimes only one a day. I think my Rhode Island Red is laying, but her eggs are so thin shelled, they are literally breaking in the nest if anything barely touches them. I will say, one of my eggers just started molting, so that explains her slow down, but not the other one.
I've been reading and I think I can rule out a few things. I keep oyster shell next to their feed, and I see them eating it pretty regularly. My first thought for the thin shelled eggs, was that, but they have access to calcium. I have a big waterer, they have access all day. It has been a really hot summer, I and I thought it was that at first, but I'm not sure anymore. I feed them a 20% protein feed they have access to all day. They free range my backyard and have been feasting on grasshoppers and all kinds of bugs, so I don't know that it's a lack of protein. I read some stuff that said to try a vitamin in their water, so I'll add that when I get home tonight. I know they don't love warm water, so I'm trying to keep an extra thing of water in the shade as well.
They are acting normal, they don't look or seem sick. The one started molting, but that was only in the last week. I haven't seen evidence of fleas or mites, but I've honestly never dealt with that, so maybe I'm missing something there?
It's been going for a few weeks now and I'm getting worried. Usually, they lay well into October. Even in November last year I was still getting 3 eggs a day. I know that some breeds slow down around this age with laying, but this was like, a sudden drop in production. Also I thought these breeds tend to not slow down until at least 3 years old. We went from 5 eggs a day to 2-3 within like, 2 weeks. Here we are a month later and now I'm lucky if I get more than 1. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[swamphiker]

From your description, this sounds like a normal decrease in production due to changing seasons, molting, and aging hens. In my experience, a chicken will stop laying eggs due to molting quite awhile before its visually apparent that it what is going on, I wouldn't be surprised if at least one more of your chickens starts molting soon. There is a reason commercial egg operations only keep chickens for ~18 months, many chickens will slow down after that.

As for the chicken laying thin-shelled eggs, it sounds like you are doing everything right! I don't have additional advice, but I also have a chicken that sometimes lays thin-shelled eggs despite offering plenty of crushed oyster shells. I've always figured perhaps that one hen is getting less calcium than the others for whatever reason.

 

[TooCheep]

All of this is easily explained.

First the RIR: Are you sure that is the one laying the thin-shelled eggs? If so, then I recommend you get some Calcium Citrate + Vit. D3 tablets and feed her one. That will get some calcium into her system and should fix her eggs quickly. She may not be eating enough of the calcium or may be having a problem getting it properly absorbed into her system. It happens sometimes. Just feed the pill 1-2 times and see what happens. If it is like mine, then she'll quickly get back on track, but may eventually have a problem again. If so, feed one pill. She should get right back on track. You can watch YouTube videos on how to feed pills to chickens.

On the general egg reduction: That is expected in the fall. Chickens produce less when daylight shortens and stop when they molt and usually in winter. From what I've been able to learn, only some backyard chickens lay in winter in their first year and never after that first year. Also, your chickens have reached the peak of their laying years. You will notice a decline in production next year (10-20%) and their production will continue declining after that.

Good luck. Except for your RIR, everything sounds normal.

 

[Mrs. K]

Look for a secret hidden nest. Even when you don't think it is possible for them to have one. Sit out there, and wait for an egg song, where is she?

But I tend to agree with the others, they are getting older, heat is hard on chickens, much mores so than the cold. It is what it is.

A fix for this, is not having all of your chickens the same age, a multi-generational flock, the older ones lay bigger eggs, the younger ones lay longer before and after molt.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Yep, 'tis the season!
Not unusual for you to get a few funky eggs around this time was they slow production.

 

[Chicks are us]

I'm at a loss. I have 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Easter Eggers and 1 Rhode Island Red. They are 2 1/2 years old. They were laying great all summer until the end of July. I'm only getting a couple eggs a day. When they first slowed down, it was my eggers that kept laying, now it's just down to my Barred Rocks, and sometimes only one a day. I think my Rhode Island Red is laying, but her eggs are so thin shelled, they are literally breaking in the nest if anything barely touches them. I will say, one of my eggers just started molting, so that explains her slow down, but not the other one.
I've been reading and I think I can rule out a few things. I keep oyster shell next to their feed, and I see them eating it pretty regularly. My first thought for the thin shelled eggs, was that, but they have access to calcium. I have a big waterer, they have access all day. It has been a really hot summer, I and I thought it was that at first, but I'm not sure anymore. I feed them a 20% protein feed they have access to all day. They free range my backyard and have been feasting on grasshoppers and all kinds of bugs, so I don't know that it's a lack of protein. I read some stuff that said to try a vitamin in their water, so I'll add that when I get home tonight. I know they don't love warm water, so I'm trying to keep an extra thing of water in the shade as well.
They are acting normal, they don't look or seem sick. The one started molting, but that was only in the last week. I haven't seen evidence of fleas or mites, but I've honestly never dealt with that, so maybe I'm missing something there?
It's been going for a few weeks now and I'm getting worried. Usually, they lay well into October. Even in November last year I was still getting 3 eggs a day. I know that some breeds slow down around this age with laying, but this was like, a sudden drop in production. Also I thought these breeds tend to not slow down until at least 3 years old. We went from 5 eggs a day to 2-3 within like, 2 weeks. Here we are a month later and now I'm lucky if I get more than 1. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

We to went from 10 a day to 2 or 3 if we r lucky. Shells have been soft on one end. We believe we have a egg eater we have found a couple now with a peck out of it. So we are investigating more. Hopefully this will be the reason. Problem solved. We have about 15 chickens 9 of which are last years and older are were well established. This year's aren't laying yet.

 

[Mrs. K]

Someone pointed out to me, that if there is a weak spot in the egg, and a hen steps on it, often times she will pierce it with a claw which can later look like a peck. Just to consider.

 

[Jessielynn21]

Look for a secret hidden nest. Even when you don't think it is possible for them to have one. Sit out there, and wait for an egg song, where is she?

But I tend to agree with the others, they are getting older, heat is hard on chickens, much mores so than the cold. It is what it is.

A fix for this, is not having all of your chickens the same age, a multi-generational flock, the older ones lay bigger eggs, the younger ones lay longer before and after molt.

Mrs K

Thanks for the responses. We started our flock tiny since we have a small coop, and I plan to add a couple more soon so we have a variation of ages. I should have mentioned, I thought a secret nest at first and at one point, one did go rogue but I’ve never found once since. I’ve been checking and watching them for that regularly. I expected them to slow down around now, not July but I guess I’ll just keep watching them. I love these silly chickens, I just want to make sure they’re healthy!