The final figures are in, and May saw a slight decline in in the number of eggs laid. It was the second consecutive monthly fall, seeing a net cut of five eggs between March and May.
Why? We’re not sure. Margot seems to have re-grown the feathers on her undercarriage without ever properly moulting, and Barbara and Gerry don’t seem to have dropped any feathers at all.
We’re keeping them well fed with plenty of vegetable scraps to supplement their layers’ pellets, and we’ve built them a new perch, which they enjoy standing on to get a better view down the garden. They spend their days either dust bathing or clucking away to each other as they scratch in the chippings and seem, on balance, to have a pretty perfect chickeny life.
Perhaps it’s just seasonal. Maybe they’re getting used to the hot weather. Or perhaps it’s down to the fact that they’re each coming up for a year old now, and their eggs laying capacity is naturally declining. That’s why battery hens have a 12-month life expectancy, after which they’re shipped off to be made into dog food.
June, fortunately, is looking up so far, with an egg from each of the hens every day so far. If they can keep it up at that rate they’ll be almost back to their March level, and that’s not bad going for a month that is one day shorter.
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My chicken ‘Henrietta’usually lays her egg first thing in the morning, however yesterday evening she was acting strangly – sitting under a bush. We tempted her out with some pasta but she didn’t rush around with her sister like she usually does so we put her in her run. After 10 minutes or so I went to check on her and she had laid an egg, but the eggshell was so soft it had broken in the run. After that she perkeed up and went trotting backto her sister. Why did she do that? Is that usual? Was it because I hadgiven her something I shoudn’t have?
That could just be a one-off. Chickens can sometimes have funny turns, but I wouldn’t get worries right away. Keep an eye on her eggs and see what happens over the next couple of days. Also, ensure that your chickens have plenty of calcium in their diet. We sometimes save up the shells of the eggs they have laid and we have cooked and, after drying them out, crush them up and put them back in their food.