Lack of Eggs is driving me crazy

[Gregg in exile]

Hello,

We used to get 7 or 8 eggs a day from our 8 ladies back around Easter. They are all under 1 yr old.

However, we now get 2 to 4 eggs a day and it it driving me crazy. I have wormed them, I have cleaned them out, I have increased the water but nothing.

I have caught the off one eating eggs, especially if they are paid outside of the coop/eggbox. I wonder whether they eat them when they are in there... but why leave a couple?

The broodies are now stopped, but still no eggs!

They are sleeping outside in this weather, and I do see them going in the coop every now and then.

They seem to eat the layers fine.

Help, I am getting to the end of my wick.

Gregg

[sazchops]

Hi have you checked the coop for mites?
Do you feed anything other than layers?
Do they free range? A secret nest somewhere.

[Gregg in exile]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

How do I know if I have mites?

Regards

Gregg

[perchy]

Have you a wooden coop? if so it is possible, check in side with a white tissue rub the tissue under the perch and in the corners, check tissue if any blood specks then you have mites they are grey and go red when they have fed on the birds. There is lots of info on red mite treating etc on here Any nook and cranny is a hiding place for the blighters

[Chookaholic]

red mites are rife this year: i go out at night (which is when theyre active) and i put my hand on a perch or in the nestbox and in one coop , tiny ...and i mean minute little mites were crawling on my hand. Before they eat theyre light grey / beige and very hard to see, i could feel tickling on my arm but it took ages to see it ... they go red after a munch on your girls

They only seem tiny but if you think thousands will be on your girls at night they can make them anaemic and very run down so the laying is switched off.

Good luck hun i hope you dont have them !!

[silverback]

Take a look and scratch

[youtube]CQAcIYaq6Ts[/youtube]

[perchy]

Take a look and scratch

[youtube]CQAcIYaq6Ts[/youtube]

You're banned

[lancashire lass]

My Bluebelle went through a non-laying period from about early June with the occasional softies (thin shelled) - I'd only know there was an egg because of the messy bedding in the coop as they all dive in to eat the egg (but thankfully don't touch the normal eggs) She is a bit of a greedy guts and I'm convinced half her problem is she is not eating the layers so I've resorted to doctoring the morning mash with some calcium with a bit of cod liver oil - it seems to work. The hot weather isn't helping though and I think that's the other half of the problem. Proper eggs are just starting up again but it's like one good egg followed by a softie the next day and so on, but at least there is an improvement.

[sandy]

Thanks for that SB, now I am scratching!

[Gregg in exile]

I will check this weekend! Thanks guys. I am back up to 4 eggs from the 8. A couple just seemed to have stopped, though.

[Gregg in exile]

I have red mite! I found a few of them in a nook. Right, 'Operation Destroy' is going to have to start. Tips?

[silverback]

Hi Gregg, if you have found only a few!, then I would treat with a mite/louse powder, smear some vaseline around the ends of the perches, this will help trap them and stop them reaching the girls (if they roost on the perches!). But before all that, get rid of all the bedding and nest box/coop material, and preferably burn it!, then just keep checking regularly to keep on top of things! ....