Lack of eggs

[dozey1]

Hi is anyone else getting problems weith the girls not laying .My girls were laying 3 or 4 eggs a day and have now only got 1 egg per day. They are out of moult but i justr can't figure out why they have stopped.

[Flummery]

How old are they?
Is there any evidence of lice - worms - anything that might put them off lay?
Do they free range out of the run? Could they be laying them anywhere else - hedge bottom - lawn mower grass basket!

[dozey1]

Theya re ex bats and were laying fine until about 6 weeks ago./ They only free range wheni am in the garden as we have a fox den at the end of our garden..

[Flummery]

If they have had a moult it might take them a while to get going again. Maybe someone who has ex-batts might know this. You could try a bit of poultry spice in their food. Gee 'em up a bit.

[MaureenHall]

This probably won't help you one little bit! But my ex-batts had "retired" and were only laying very spasmodically so it was the other hybrids who were keeping my egg total ticking over - 6 or 7 a day from 13 hens. My daughter on the other hand, has 7 ex-batts and they gave her 20 eggs in 2 days last week!! It's always going to be a bit hit-and-miss with ex-batts, they've had a tough life before coming to us

[dozey1]

Oh well theyare more like pets anyway. I wouldn't be without them...

[Suechooks]

I'm with Maureen on this one. Most of my ex-batts now lay very spasmodically. They are released from the battery because they're past their best and can no longer lay daily. I've supplemented mine each year with 2 or 3 POL hybrids, and will continue to do so. The first year I had them they laid pretty well probably 4 each a week sometimes more but not now. My speckledy who has been with me since she was POL still lays every other day and she is a year older than the ex-batts, which in a way shows that decent feeding and care does prolong their laying life.

[Glutton4...]

My Batties lay fewer eggs if the weather is bad. This last week has been very windy, and the egg numbers have dropped a fair bit. We had one still day at the end of last week, and the following day I had loads of eggs. I think they had been storing them up!

Back to windy again yesterday, and the egg count has gone down again!

[raine]

It's strange but the same has happened to me. Up until a fortnight ago my 3 ex-batts were giving me 2 a day regular as clockwork, sometimes 3. Now we are down to 1. No idea why! By the way- when do they moult, there seems to be a lot mor fluffy feathers in the run.

[frias]

Same here. My ex-batts have laid well all winter even through their moult but eggs have now dwindled. I think they have put themselves in well deserved retirement. Perhaps it's time to add to the flock.

[dozey1]

My thoughts eggaxlty, although the OH has said we will just buy free range eggs.. Trouble is i want more chooks i love them.. They coming running after me flapping their wings and they are so good putting them away for the night.. Ex Batts Rule...

[Hilary B]

I suspect that battery/barn egg producers tend to want most of the birds coming in to lay ready for when the free-rangers may be taking a break in autumn. If so it may be that once they are freed from the intensive system they will moult in spring... Just a guess.

[Suechooks]

I suspect that battery/barn egg producers tend to want most of the birds coming in to lay ready for when the free-rangers may be taking a break in autumn. If so it may be that once they are freed from the intensive system they will moult in spring... Just a guess.

That's a good thought Hilary. Several of mine are certainly looking a bit raggy round the edges and a few feathers in the run. Mine were released Jan last year (2008) and have laid well since then with occasional blips in the system!

[PurpleBecca]

I don't have ex battery hens - mine are hybrids - but they deffinately dont like wet windy weather - we are often down eggs when we have bad spells!

Of course - we occasionally find 'nests' of eggs out and about, which explain some of these 'blips!'

But - seriously - the weather does effect ours.

Four of our hens are four years old now and they lay a lot less frequently.

[Flummery]

I'm pleased to hear that your hybrids are 4 years old Becca. We have just (5 weeks ago) got 4 hybrids who are lovely little things. Sometimes ex-batts don't seem to live so long but it seems that hybrid chickens with a good start and TLC form the word go can have a good innings.