Help! I’m getting 1 to No Eggs!

[Tokenfreak]

I have 14 hens and 1 rooster. I was getting anywhere from 8-12 eggs a day on average. The last few months something happen and I am lucky to get 1 egg a day now. Most days I get no eggs at all. I have noticed a few eggs shells busted on the ground and it looks like the chickens are eating it. Do you think they are eating all the eggs they are laying? If so what can I do? Or do you think it’s something else and they are just not laying? I also have seen no snakes or any other animals getting in to eat the eggs. I’m just so sad as the feed costs so much money to feed all these chickens and now I get no eggs and have to spend more money to buy eggs. I hope someone can help me. Thanks!

 

[Squawkers]

I have 14 hens and 1 rooster. I was getting anywhere from 8-12 eggs a day on average. The last few months something happen and I am lucky to get 1 egg a day now. Most days I get no eggs at all. I have noticed a few eggs shells busted on the ground and it looks like the chickens are eating it. Do you think they are eating all the eggs they are laying? If so what can I do? Or do you think it’s something else and they are just not laying? I also have seen no snakes or any other animals getting in to eat the eggs. I’m just so sad as the feed costs so much money to feed all these chickens and now I get no eggs and have to spend more money to buy eggs. I hope someone can help me. Thanks!

I’m sorry. Would installing a camera be an option? That way you could rule out egg earring by the chickens and pests eating the eggs. Have you ever seen any chickens with yolk on their face? If you rule out egg eating, then it might be nutritional. Or (depending on where you are located) it might be that they are stopping laying for the winter. Are any of your chickens molting?

 

[WingItRanch]

Uh oh! I was about to suggest it was due to molting or the shortened daylight but if you're seeing broken eggshells with no contents... sounds like you've got yourself egg eaters. Have you thought about putting up a camera to see what's getting to them? If you're seeing leftover shells, it's probably not a snake. It's not unusual for chickens to get a taste of raw egg and then purposely break into them.

You may want to think about rollaway boxes where the eggs will be more secure. Or you can try placing fake eggs that are unbreakable like wood. When the chickens peck at them and they can't get in, it may train them away from egg eating.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You could also gather the eggs every hour for a while.

I had a couple snakes in my hen house and before I realized I did, some of my hens were laying "jelly" eggs due to stress. Some were also shell-less and it didn't take long before I had egg-eating hens. So I started gathering eggs every hour (as well as taking care of the snakes!). One day I caught two hens "in the act" of eating fresh-laid perfectly good eggs! They screamed in panic when they saw they were busted, jumped out of the nest and ran screaming out into the run. You would swear they were like two little kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar! And they NEVER ate eggs again. I know bc I've seen them lay eggs and depart immediately from the nest, even if they don't know I'm watching!

 

[aart]

I have 14 hens and 1 rooster. I was getting anywhere from 8-12 eggs a day on average. The last few months something happen and I am lucky to get 1 egg a day now. Most days I get no eggs at all. I have noticed a few eggs shells busted on the ground and it looks like the chickens are eating it. Do you think they are eating all the eggs they are laying? If so what can I do? Or do you think it’s something else and they are just not laying? I also have seen no snakes or any other animals getting in to eat the eggs. I’m just so sad as the feed costs so much money to feed all these chickens and now I get no eggs and have to spend more money to buy eggs. I hope someone can help me. Thanks!

How old are these birds, in months?
Where in this world do you live?
Do they free range?
Do they usually lay in the nests?

 

[Possum-Pie]

1. Northern Hemisphere most chickens quit laying Sept-Oct. Natural.
2. Preditors will eat eggs. Is the coop sealed up so no snakes or coons can get in?
3. Once a hen gets a taste of raw egg, it can be hard to stop her. Boxes with an angled floor will allow the eggs to roll back to a soft spot the hens can't reach.
4. Agree with the cam. Coop cam is the best investment I made. Bought a Wyze OG outdoor cam, mounted it in the coop and can see right into the nesting boxes, the roost, can tell who's hanging out in the coop and who isn't. Cost about $25.
5. Calcium deficiency may be the cause. Are you feeding Layer feed? offering crushed eggshells or oyster shells? Do you see them eating feathers?