I have approximately 65 layers (we won't get into why so many). 20 of them are last years layers and the rest have just started this fall. Up till the middle of November we were only getting about 12 eggs per day, then it dropped to 6 or so a day for a week. I then decided to have a look at what's going on (the kids were in charge up to this point) and noticed that the nest boxes were very empty of straw, so I put a bunch in so they could have about a 2" base, they still kicked it out so I put a board on the front to extend the height to about 4" and that seemed to keep the straw in. Wow, Next day 24 eggs, then 26, then eventually within 2 weeks and average of 50 eggs a day. Definately learned that the hens can turn on and off there production. this has lasted 2 months, Now within one day were back to 8 eggs per day. Everything seems okay, kids did go to what I would say too much straw, but other than that I have no clue. Weather warmed a few degrees but nothing dramatic, they have had plenty of food and water, andvthey are on a commercial feed.
Any Ideas I can try?

Thanks,
Bob in Gaylord MI

Bob, have you checked for parasites like lice, mites, worms?

We have a small egg business from about 300 layers. I have a hard time believing that straw in the nest boxes causes pullets/hens to turn off and on. No offense, but I just don't believe it! They're probably laying more than you think but just laying somewhere that you haven't looked yet. If your layers range like ours do, they're probably laying in a number of different spots, under shrubs, in fence rows, in the hay stack... If they're completely confined and you have rows of nest boxes up off the floor, look under them for piles of eggs!

Now you'll reduce the rate of lay if you don't provide them with enough water and correct nutrition....

Amount of straw couldnt make much diff.I use plastic I/O carpet. 1/2" thick in some nest boxes and 5 gal. buckets 1/2 full of hay in other pens. My very best guess would have to be :kids in charge:. Children are often put in charge of the young stock and poultry on many farms. You can pretty much tell which ones upon arrival at the barn.

What about running out of water for a few hours each day? Is it freezing? What is your ventilation like? When you have colder spells, do you adjust windows, doors, and ventilators? Ammonia from bedding? If the building is not insulated, swings in temperature will greatly affect production, in my experience.

We don't range and the area is small enough to find any stray eggs, yes it is hard to believe that straw could be a trigger but that was the only change then. As far as food and water, I have food bins that hold 100 lbs each and are kept up, water is in a pail with a heater to keep from freezing and haven't seen it lower than half full. Building is insulated and As for ventilation, I have two small chicken size doors that are always open and all the windows are cracked open a bit since they don't close all the way, no frost on windows or ammonia odor. They have 16 hours of light as well. I had also completely cleaned the coup about 2 weeks previously so there isn't much manure either.
We didn't have any real change in temps at this time, we have seen some a few weeks ago without a change in production so I doubt temp is problem here.
Robbpa- What are your ideas on kids in charge? Is there some things the do or don't do to affect things. I have been going out and checking on things every day since I add straw and they started increasing production. I will ask again about water.
Also Anny suggested parasites and such, how do I know and what do I treat them with, any preventative to do if they don't.

thanks for the ideas.

I was generalizing about kids doing the chores. The responsibility is good for them. Most kids just want to get the work done and get going to something else. Observation of details is critical to optimum performance in any class of livestock. Something I do occassiomly is add some clorox to the drinking water, also,not at the same time tho, add apple cider vinegar. I think they can get sour crop and the treatment helps them. Possibly they are just not eating enough.

Bob, In the winter of 2000/2001 it started snowing and freezing and to keep my chickens happy I went to the local riding school and brought home a few sacks of fresh horse manure and a bale of straw. I put it all on a pile in their run and they loved it, they turned it over and over all day long, keeping themselves and their feet warm. They kept on laying throughout the cold spell untill a few weeks later all of a sudden no more eggs. Together with the straw/manure I had brought home lice and my chickens were infested and, believe me, they had so many I knew.

If your chickens do have lice I'm sure Sunny will help you out, she recently succesfully cleared such a situation.

65 layers? Is there just one bucket of water? My pens of 3-5 birds drink a gallon (capacity of their waterers, which are plastic pet waterers, with the small fountain base--that makes only a small area for the water) at least once a week. Can't imagine less than 3or 4 buckets for your birds. (Maybe you do have more). But water is most important for production of eggs. Eggs get smaller if the hen doesn't drink enough water--and she will stop entirely if she is without water for a day. (shipping of laying hens can do this). When it is cold, hens will drink less water, but you said the water is heated--yet never less than 1/2 gone??? Can the hens scoop up water when water is low in the bucket? Is it too deep? There must be some reason for interruption in laying. Hope you discover it--it is nice to have a continual great supply of eggs! Good luck, CJR

I think there is a good possibility that having the vent openings set the same all the time allows changes in the weather to have at least some influence on their production. You are about the same latitude as we are, straight west of you in the UP. This winter, I adjusted my window and ventilator with the colder weather. When we had the warm spell in December, production shot up, then fell back some after it got more seasonably cold. I think that if you adjust your air inlet openings (hen-sized doors) so that this air is restricted a little more, and take care that it does not come in on them when they are roosting or scratching about during the day, that this will help some. I think that when you cleaned out the bedding you also made the floor colder. If I were you I would add straw or shavings to the floor to give at least six inches of depth, and add as needed. 65 hens will make lots of manure, and you will have to add to the bedding and clean it out frequently. Our hens need bedding removed about every three weeks in the winter, and that is after adding more every 4-7 days.
CJR is also right on the money about the water. That isn't nearly enough for them to be drinking. There must be something that is preventing some of the birds from drinking all they want. Do they just drink out of a bucket? If so, the water can only go so low before it's uncomfortable for the hens to bend their necks down to reach the water level. When they happens, they just won't drink until the level is raised. That by itself would explain your production drop, as CJR observes. If you must use an open container, try using a couple of those Fortex rubber hog pans, set up on blocks about 3-4 inches off the floor. They should be able to reach that water all the way to the bottom. Better yet would be 2-3 fountains that would keep their water covered while letting out plenty to drink. Our 22 hens drink about three gallons of water every two days. The number of hens you have affects who gets to drink when they need to. If there isn't enough room when the water is available, the hens further down the pecking order will get very little or none.
Hope this helps, and let us know how they do!

Thanks for the advice, I'll watch for the Lice, but I tend to agree with the water aspect. It's all a matter of perspective and even though the kids say they fill the bucket every morning, I bet they fill it with what they bring out and no more. Example, the metal bucket is about 10 gallons or slightly more, and last night I needed to make two trips with my nearly filled 5 gallon pail, there was only a few inches in it originally even though the kids say it has never gone below 1/2 full. Well February brings a change in which daughter watches the chickens and the other goes to rabbit chores (if only they laid eggs) and the instructions are 10 trips are to be made if that is what it takes. I do have some firewood around the bucket to help the chickens reach down in the bucket as well, yesterday we had 12 eggs and 15 so far today. I will keep a closer eye on things in the chicken coup when I check the horses from now on.
Will let you know it we see any additional changes.

thanks for the help