Homestead mailing list

[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

In a message dated 7/29/2009 8:36:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
lisakvperry AT gmail.com writes:


> >We have 5 hens (not yet a year old--so youngish) who normally produce 3-4
> eggs per day. These are meat birds, the ones I got off freecycle last New
> Year's Eve. ;)  Production is not as high as egg layers but still plenty. 
> In
> the last week, we've only gathered up to 2 eggs per day, but in the last 
> two
> days have not gathered any eggs.
> 

Lisa, this is an older post and I don't recall seeing any replies.  So this 
may be late and moot.

This time of year chickens will go through a molt.  Usually it is late June 
but it can be as late as mid August.  Most of the time you will see them 
shedding lots of feathers but sometimes not so many and not so noticeable.

During the molt egg production will go down or cease altogether for several 
days.

If that is the case, egg production will pick back up post-molt.  We were 
getting thirty eggs a day, then during the molt it suddenly went down to 5 
then none for a few days.  Now it's thirty again.

James