We've had some egg challenges - I checked our tally sheet - at the beginning of last month we were getting between 8 - 10 eggs a day. Now, the girls are laying between 2 - 4. This is frustrating for me, but because chickens don't talk, I can't ask them what's causing the decrease.
Here's what I can deduce:
There are 11 hens.
- 2 are broody. Broody chickens do not lay eggs. Two hens eliminated from the 'laying pool'
- Trudy is busy raising 3 chicks, so that means she is not laying. That makes 3
- Candy is out on loan, sitting on peacock eggs. She's broody AND gone. That makes 4
- There is an egg destroyer in our midst. At least one egg a day has a hole pecked in it. As soon as we figure out who is doing the destruction, we will remove her. That makes at least 5.
- Hens don't lay daily.
At least 5 eggs a day are either not being produced or being destroyed. 11-5= 6.
6 potential eggs a day and we are getting between 2-4. Phooey.
I thought I had a solution - I found a neighbor who had some chickens, and had extra eggs. Perfect! - I could supplement my eggs with hers. That was, until I found out she was feeding them non-organic feed. There went that idea!
....
The good news? We have 8 chicks - sex unknown - that will be ready to lay in December. David and I are encouraging them all to be hens.
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