4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cyber Chook]

Due to early morning hullabaloo, I've covered the Cube and shut the door overnight. This worked, but now they just shout inside the closed Cube, and it's almost as bad and loud as ever.

 

Anyway, the actual point of my posting is, has anyone noticed a drop in egg production alongside keeping their chooks in the dark for longer? We're down to one or two per day (they're only 1 year old; been flubenvetted; treats occasionally only; limited free-ranging; extra limestone; you name it, I've tried it).

 

Mr Cyber Chook has a theory: because they're missing out on around 3-4 hours of daylight, is this having an effect on their egg production cycle? I think he has a good point. After all, in battery egg farming they keep the lights on in order to get more eggs.

 

I've reached the point where it really isn't fun any more, and am feeling fed up - noisy chickens hollerin' (5.45am this Sunday morning ) and only 1 or 2 eggs a day...

 

Caroline

 

P.S. Maybe I need to supply a couple of lights in the Cube, with newspapers and TV as a distraction, perhaps - eggs up, noise down - sorted!!

[stoice]

it might be down to less daylight but as well as letting them out later, the sun is also staying out longer too. So even if they stayed in till 8am, then go to bed at 9pm that's at least a good 13 hours of daylight, which should be plenty I'd have thought.

 

Probably not the answer you're looking for. Sorry.

 

Could they be sneakily laying their eggs elsewhere? Under a bush or in a quiet corner somewhere?

 

Stacey

[C&T]

Sorry you are having a bad time...

 

I haven't noticed a drop in eggs through keeping them locked in.

 

I agree with stoice - they may lose the morning but don't go to bed till late at the moment. (OH keeps moaning he wants to go to bed, but has to wait for the chickens!!)

 

Have you tried the "fill them up with stodge" approach? That's has worked really well for our two. Porridge an hour or two before bed with layers mash and either porridge oats or pasta. Crops bulging they go off to bed, and as they are shut in they stay quiet till 7.45/8am.

[Cyber Chook]

Hmm, I do see what you're saying about the hours, but they're still getting 3 or 4 hours less than what they'd be getting naturally, left to their own natural devices of getting up with the sun, which is what their chickeny/eggy systems are geared up for, if you see what I mean.

 

I wish I could get to the bottom of what the problem is with laying. I've even had a couple of days where there were no eggs at all. And no, I only let them out for 30-60 minutes in the evening, so they're not laying eggs anywhere else.

 

[Guest]

P.S. Maybe I need to supply a couple of lights in the Cube, with newspapers and TV as a distraction, perhaps - eggs up, noise down - sorted!!

 

 

& bowl of grapes to pick at and off they go

 

I am no expert but the sunlight does make a difference definitely, so perhaps it is this as since we had the sunny days last week my chickens egg production was up to full strength, thats why the battery chickens are kept under lights. But as I say I am def no expert. and I dont know why yours are nt laying ....worming?? Hopefully we will get some rays sooon again

 

I am very new to chickens myself.

 

I know my ducks laid full strength all through summer consistently and in the winter it was just a few lucky eggs on odd days.

 

Hope it picks up

 

indie

[reggy81]

Our egg production dropped from 3-4 to 2 over the last couple of weeks and I wondered whether it may be the hot weather as it tied in with the hot week and half we had. We had 4 eggs yesterday and 3 today so thought that might be a theory?

[Space Chick]

I agree with the heat theory. One of mine stopped laying, its cooled down and she's started again

[Cyber Chook]

Mine have started laying two to three eggs a day AT LAST, since it's cooled down

 

The mysteries of the World Of Chickens....

 

Caroline

[Abbey Road Girl]

I don't know if this will be helpful, but mine laid eggs every day without stopping for over three weeks in April. It was as though spring had really sprung after the long cold winter. I was a bit horrified by it.

 

Since then they've reverted to more modest production.

 

If you figure it out, Cyber Chook, let the rest of us know (the hens won't tell, will they?).

 

Glad you are getting more eggs!

[Cyber Chook]

I don't know if this will be helpful, but mine laid eggs every day without stopping for over three weeks in April.

 

Yours are the same age as mine, I think, so it's helpful to compare notes. In fact I thought it was normal for them to lay every day - now I'm wondering if I've just been unusually lucky so far then? Until about March, we were getting five eggs a day from our five, for a few months.

 

Maybe they're just having a well-deserved rest in that case

 

Caroline

[Abbey Road Girl]

 

Yours are the same age as mine, I think, so it's helpful to compare notes. In fact I thought it was normal for them to lay every day - now I'm wondering if I've just been unusually lucky so far then? Until about March, we were getting five eggs a day from our five, for a few months.

 

Maybe they're just having a well-deserved rest in that case

 

Are yours the Pepperpots and Rangers from Omplet, Caroline? I think they were supposed to lay six eggs a week and rest on the seventh (something familiar about that).

 

Yours seem to have been overachievers!

[Cyber Chook]

 

I think they were supposed to lay six eggs a week and rest on the seventh

 

That sounds quite biblical

 

Yes, well-guessed Abbey Road Girl, they are indeed Omlet girls (although I much prefer your 'Omplet' actually).

 

I don't remember hearing about their laying rate, though, so that's useful. Hopefully, they'll get back into the swing of six eggs a week, as we're still on only 1 or 2 a day between the five of them at the moment.

 

CAroline