Chicken stopped laying

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Ch1ckChick

Ch1ckChick

In the Brooder
Aug 10, 2015
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So it's winter chickens will slow down their laying, but are they supposed to stop completely? Kit-Kat my Americana or Araucanian lays light green eggs but in the past two weeks she has stopped. I searched the yard in case she was laying them in the yard but no luck. She doesn't appear to be molting either. Do you know why she has stopped? Is it temporarily or is it permanent? IS it life threatening?
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Many hens completely stop laying eggs about a week or two before they start molting, and during the molt. Depending on the hen and her age, she may stop laying for 2 to 5 months.
 
Are you sure it has been 2 weeks and she hasn't lost a feather plus she is only 7 months old
 
If you free range it might be a good idea to keep them locked in the coop for a week or so to see if she has indeed stopped or was hiding a nest and to re habituate them to the laying in the coop nests.

First year pullets can keep laying all winter without supplemental lighting, but not always-they may stop or slow down.
They usually don't molt either, but can. Molt can be subtle and hard to see, might just notice some extra feathers around the coop and yard...or they might eat them.

Stress can also stop laying. Any changes in coop, feed, water, flock population, predator attacks can cause stress.

What are you feeding?
How many birds do you have..and are the others laying?
How big is your coop(feet by feet)?
 
I am feeding them crumbles from a great food company
I have 5 birds that are laying
and my coop is about 2 meters by 4 meters but they only go in the coop to sleep and spend most the day grazing in our quarter acre yard while they receive treats and graze and hunt for mice all day
 
Ch1ckChick said:
I am feeding them crumbles from a great food company
I have 5 birds that are laying
and my coop is about 2 meters by 4 meters but they only go in the coop to sleep and spend most the day grazing in our quarter acre yard while they receive treats and graze and hunt for mice all day
Click to expand...
I'd lock 'em up for a week...and check your nutrition levels(read feed bag labels) and make sure you're not diluting their protein below 16%.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.
 
My marans started to lay at 18 weeks, only laid for 2 weeks and then stopped. I was worried she was sick or had mites etc. A month after she stopped laying I noticed she was missing feathers. Very little, couldn't tell unfilled I was really checking her all over for bugs. Lost feathers were mainly on her belly and neck/back. She started to lay again last week - so 2 month break. Her feathers started to grow back 2-3 weeks ago. So I think she went through a super light molten. She was hatched April 27. Maybe yours is going through that as well?
 
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