Hello (new member)

Bblack

Hatching
5 Years
Oct 24, 2014
2
0
7
hello all I have just joined found the site while looking for a reason or solution as to why my egg production has dropped off so bad overnight. I started with chickens a year and half ago when the girl at tractor supply handed my nephew a chick and we decided to buy 12. began with a make shift brooder then a make shift pen and chicken house then this summer I built a chicken tractor. Now that fall is here and upstate NY winter will be here soon I have built a new 8'x8' chicken house and a new chicken yard that's 25'x25'. however after reading the treads I am hoping that's its a combination of things first being that they are no longer in the tractor getting fresh grass everyday 2nd is the move to the new house where two groups were combined to make one then the weather getting colder with less light. question is what to do other than being patient they are still getting the same laymash they have been getting since the beginning from a local feed mill I have put a light in the hen house they have plenty of water have considered cider vinegar but not tried it yet. they appear healthy and are not loosing feathers . our flock has grown to 23 birds and we enjoy them and there eggs we were averaging 16-17 eggs a day till I moved them now its more like 3-4 any ideas
 
Any change can throw hens off sometimes for weeks at a time. You may want to check out ' Chicken Behaviors & egglaying,' in the Raising Backyard Chickens forum above. Some breeds just slow down during the colder months.

What breeds do you have?
 
Welcome to BYC
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This time of the year when the days on the Northern hemisphere gets shorter many hens will stop laying and older chickens will start molting as well. Most hens need a minimum of 14 daylight per day to keep them in production and then the day lengths drop to below that, it a sign for their bodies that winter is approaching and in nature that means no more chick raising until it's warmer, so i.e. no more egg laying.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Chickens don't like change, no matter what that is...moving them around the yard, adding new birds, feed changes, along with the changing of the seasons. Give them some time and see how things go. Some breeds will lay throughout the winter and others not and need extra light. Any bird that stops laying when they should, should be given an over all exam to see if it is due to a health issue.

Enjoy this wonderful adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
 
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Welcome to BYC. As others have stated chickens do not respond well to changes in their environment. This plus the shortened day length have probably impacted their egg production. With supplemental lighting and time they will start laying again.
 

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