Where are all the eggs? | Eastern NC Now

    The anticipation is real now. After not buying eggs after two years, it's heartbreaking to look at those prices now. I was prepared for a down economy this year, but not like this. Since the beginning of November 2022, the start of molting season, we were prepared not have any eggs as normal. Though after 4 months of not one egg from my 6 hens. My concerns are raised more than ever after listening and talking to other local farmer's speculations about the feed being tainted and having the same situation with no eggs. I went into researching around the vast internet and found very interesting information possibly leading to some answers.



    My awareness was raised after listening to other farmers across the country having the same ordeal. In one TikTok video, a farmer that had 45 chickens, only 1 egg every other day and stated, "that was unlike anything he's ever seen before." The chicken farmers said, "a couple days after feeding their own mix of oats, sunflowers seeds and flaxseed, within a week, the chickens laid eggs. 15 eggs were present the next day." His conclusion was, it's the feed. I started asking anyone I knew how their chickens are faring this winter and many who free range haven't noticed a change from previous years. I asked the place I got my hens and they have not had an issue; laying as normal and a few eggs are present each day.

    So, I let them free range more than normal now and have since stopped the laying mash I had bought from Tractor supply. The hens have a warm clean coop for anytime their ready. If anyone has had an experience like this around this neck of the woods, let's hear it. I pray that this is just a confusing period of time for the girls and hope they will start producing soon.