Egg problem?

[CzchMate]

Hey all, I have 7 ladies but have not been getting more than 1 egg per day for the last several weeks. Most usually it’s the same gal laying. I’ve changed the food to see if that makes a difference and know weather changes and/or molting can cause less eggs but this just seems really unusual. Any advice or suggestions?

 

[Ecarroll]

Do they free range? They could possibly be laying outside the coop like under a bush somewhere. Mine did this, you just need to keep them shut up in the run for a week or so to force them back into using the nesting boxes. Then eventually you find a big nest of old eggs, you don’t really realize how much you where missing until then.

 

[CzchMate]

Do they free range? They could possibly be laying outside the coop like under a bush somewhere. Mine did this, you just need to keep them shut up in the run for a week or so to force them back into using the nesting boxes. Then eventually you find a big nest of old eggs, you don’t really realize how much you where missing until then.View attachment 3943555

Thank you and yes, they free range but not without supervision and not very long. We have a lot of predators so we try to keep an eye on them. Hopefully you are right and I find some eggs soon!

 

[Ecarroll]

Thank you and yes, they free range but not without supervision and not very long. We have a lot of predators so we try to keep an eye on them. Hopefully you are right and I find some eggs soon!

They are always in the places you don’t look, just don’t allow free rangeing for a week or two and it should break the habit if that’s what it really is.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How old are they? Assuming they're over a year old, many hens stop laying before the onset of molt, so if you have some already molting and some aren't, good chance the ones that aren't yet molting will begin soon.

 

[CzchMate]

How old are they? Assuming they're over a year old, many hens stop laying before the onset of molt, so if you have some already molting and some aren't, good chance the ones that aren't yet molting will begin soon.

They are three years old, and I’ve only seen one or two go through molting (last year). There does seem to be a lot of feathers in the coop but they all look healthy. How far in advance would they stop laying when molting begins? It’s been a couple weeks without eggs thanks for your help

 

[rosemarythyme]

How far in advance would they stop laying when molting begins? It’s been a couple weeks without eggs thanks for your help

It really varies. Some hens do lay right up until they molt (and some lay at a reduced rate during molt - but that said I have never had a molting/post molt hen lay again until next season) and others can stop several weeks in advance, which is kind of their indicator that molt is incoming.