Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I'm getting even fewer eggs now . Not had a single one for a few days and even before that only one was laying every other day or so. I chicken-sat for 3 very unpampered hens the other week and they laid an egg each every single day . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biddy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I, too, am a newbie hen owner. Margaret and SYbil arrived as point-of-lay hens 7 weeks ago. They have laid eggs but not regularly - in the past three weeks - I've had three in the past six days. They seem happy but I keep them in their run as we have a major fox problem and a large garden..... They really don't like their layers' pellets (which are available to them all day and are changed regularly). I've tried mixing pellets with warm water into a nice comforting mash, which they will eat (a bit of) but they hang on and go nuts when I put kitchen bits in their run. I wonder if they're not getting enough food..... ANyone got any ideas??? I'd be very grateful..... Thanx B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 I've only had my ex batts since the beginning of July so no idea what they should be laying. I usually get between 2 and 4 eggs a day, but it's not often that I get 4. Today I got one softie and 2 normal eggs, but the weather once again is very hot here. I've got them in the run for most of the day as I find it hard to get them back in the run on my own, but I let them out about 4pm for a few hours. I haven't wormed them or done anything else as I wanted them to settle in properly first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegenealogist Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I've had my hens a few months. Two of them started laying after about three weeks, then the speckledy followed six weeks later. I have had two eggs most days, on only one day have I had three. The white sussex is the most reliable, with an egg almost every day. However, since we had the gales and rain they have all gone off laying. I have read that birds easily get spooked. The white sussex has started laying again, and the silver sussex every other day. The speckledy however has stopped altogether (unless she is hiding them down the garden), I have had nothing from her for 10 days. She is still quite immature, looking at how small her comb still is so I'm hoping she will start again soon. It's crazy having to buy eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christmas+grace Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Sue, owner of Grace and Christmas: I got my two gingernut rangers 12 months ago from the person who sold me their eglu, who told me they were 'about a year old'. For 6 weeks now, Grace has been producing either nothing at all, or eggs in which the shell is absent, and the membrane is either absent (i.e. it looks like an egg ready in the frying pan) or is comes out later like a deflated balloon. The other one, Christmas, was producing until about 2-2 1/2 weeks ago, and now all I get is a softie if anything. They both seem fine (are eating, no mites, have been wormed regularly, been fed pellets, and oyster shell) apart from just before they lay, and just after when they are quiet, hunched and sort of puffed up. I had to help Grace just now by pulling the membrane out, and the hole seemed distended - as these are my first 'girls' I feel rather at sea with all this. Could they be having their 'henopause'? Can anyone offer help/solace/etc?christmas+grace Freshly Laid Egg Posts: 4 Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:32 pm christmas+grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iar fach goch Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Wehey two eggs today for the first time in aaaaaages!!! Let's hope the drought is finally over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Rhode Island Red Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Hi Mr Rhode Island Red here. As I have found this topic I might as well admit that I am only getting an average of 2 or 3 eggs from eight free range hybrid hens. I am feeding them layers mixed in with mixed corn. During the month of April I was getting about 50 eggs per week! (7 or 8 every day). However now I would be extremely lucky to get 20 a week. Weather has been humid for a while, maybe the hens are just too sleepy to lay eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 3 or 4 eggs a day here, from 9 hens. I know my two oldest have laid their quota for the year, so will be getting no more from them this year. Mo and Bo are only laying softies now. The other five are taking it in turns I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwren Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 My ex battery girls are having a bit of a rest methinks lol. I am eagerly awaiting my first eggs but I think they are too busy enjoying eating all the slugs and running round like loonys to think about laying anything. I am going to party when I get my first egg plus for two weeks now I have been traipsing up the garden every hour to have a sneaky peak Come on girlies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegenealogist Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Things have improved this week, the light sussex and silver sussex are both laying most days now. The speckledy still isn't laying but looking at my egg diary it looks like she layed eight or nine eggs then stopped a fortnight ago. Although I always remove the eggs very promptly every day she was showing signs of broodiness a fortnight ago ago so my guess is that she is in a broody cycle and won't lay again for a few more days. She only sat on the empty nest for a day or two, and that was on and off, but I think it may have been enough to stop her laying. She stopped crouching and has only just started again this morning. I'll let you know when she starts laying again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwren Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 Yay have had my first egg from my ex battery girlies. I am such a proud mum! They have been here two weeks and I have been eagerly awaiting an egg. They even layed it in the nest box Well done that girlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 No eggs from Violet, Minnie, Olive or Lulu for at least two weeks now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 woohoo an egg from Lulu today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryannlucy Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 It is very disconcerting tohave chickens and no eggs. It is about 4 weeks for one and 2 for the other...we have even had the conversation that if we were keeping them for survival etc etc - I won't go into detail, but you can guess the rest....any results? nothing!! Honestly, not sure what to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 egg drought here too. 1 egg today, from 10 hens!!! 1 excused because she's not yet pol; 1 because she's an old girl; 1 is moulting (seems to have been doing it for months). as for the other 7 freeloaders... currently giving flubenvet, on day 2 of 7. no bugs or nasties as far as I can tell, no change of food/amount of freeranging time - all day every day for ours, inside electric fence. it's feast or famine here - last week I gave away 36 eggs to friends and family; this week there's one in the egg rack!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 I am not liking the sound of this thread. Egg drought! I was told I would have nearly one egg a day per hen. I have 5 all aquired over the last three weeks, only one currently laying ( I think the sellers have been lying about the ages). Ivy has laid 9 eggs in the 9 days I have had her. Rosie looks like she may start, but i think the others could be a month off. Here I am having only one chucky for breakfast, expecting 4-5 and now reading that there is such a thing as an egg drought. Am i going to have to go back to Tesco eggs? god forbid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 1 quail egg and 2 chook eggs today. better than nothing I suppose, next step will be lice spraying I think, although they all seem clean and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bevmatt Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Have to say we are having a bit of a slow down now - last week from my pen of bantams ( 12girls ) i was getting approx 9 eggs a day - the last 2 days I have had 4 in total.... I know it is frustrating but you have to consider why you have hens in the first place - if it is first and foremost to have eggs eggs eggs then well I won't say anything.. If it is to enjoy having hens and then enjoyment they bring you and relaxation and then the eggs are a bonus - how lovely - and if the girls need a bit of a holiday ready for the next full on lay then hats off to them we all need a rest... Also remember at this time of year a lot of hens go into moult ready for the winter ahead.... It sounds like a lot of us are having hens on their summer vacation. Don't hold out for a postcard though!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FruitandNutCake Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 It must be a good 2 months now - I'm getting one every other day from Bonza, and maybe an extra one a week from one of the other girls. I am just curious - is this normal? I've only been keeping chickens 2 years, so relatively new to this but wondered whether any of the more experienced members had heard of a nationwide egg drought before. I'm now thinking about getting another couple of POLs to add to the group, just in case they have completely ended their egg laying days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 I've been keeping chooks for 3 years and it is the worst I've experienced. maybe it's the weather? I dont really mind, because I like them; but on the other hand it's quite frustrating not to go and reap the benefits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 egg drought continues here.... finished the flubenvet: check. on Sunday I lice sprayed all the chooks: check. thorough clean out of cube, scrubbing, poultry shield, lice spray, diatom: check. they are eating like horses - layers pellets plus the odd bit of veg/leftovers. clean drinking water always available. nothing, zero, nil, nada in the egg way of things until 1 today about half an hour ago. I'd like to think we are turning the corner!!! but just said to OH that I didnt want to be buying eggs, and he said "if we're buying eggs we wont be buying sunday lunch....!" - he was joking, I hasten to add. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Think Violet may have laid an egg yesterday...waiting to see what happens today...but pretty sure it was hers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 14 chickens. 3 eggs. 4 hens that can lay- only 3 laying. 1 broody 4 chicks 2 cockerels (suppost to be hens..) 1 too young frizzle and a turkey hen which is too young and a stag. This is coming from the person that wanted chickens for egg production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 4 chook eggs today, which is an improvement! dont think the quail have laid for a week now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amroche Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Would rats stress out my girls so they wouldnt lay? Bought POL hens (free range in a grass paddock during day, locked in at night in their arc), have had them now for 10 weeks and nothing!! Have wormed them, put in an egg to remind them, really well fed, look fine, cant think of anything else. All last year had hens and lots of eggs no problem until Mr Fox arrived one night (forgot to close them in ...I know...I know..) Live on a farm and we have a large rat problem at the moment, would seeing rats during the day trying to share their food, and hearing them at night while they are upstairs asleep stress them out enough so they wouldnt lay? Aisling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
