All 4 Hens stopped laying?

[crumptz]

I have 4 hens. They are 10 months old. They were all laying regularly... Albeit smaller pullet eggs. One went broody. I took her off nest and put her in a rabbit cage next to run so she would stop her brood and still be near her flock. She's been back with flock now for two weeks. Problem... ALL 4 hens stopped laying. In two weeks I have 6 eggs total. What's going on?..
They are on layer feed. Water is good. They have oyster shell access. They have plenty of space and its summer so light isn't an issue. They have shade access. Coop is sand and kept clean. I'm at a loss.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[junebuggena]

If you've had a recent heat wave, that could be it. They don't eat much in hot weather, so they don't get enough protein to produce eggs.

 

[drumstick diva]

Heat can kick the stuffing out of animals and people. Is your temp higher than usual?

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Other than not laying (and 1 going broody), are your birds showing any signs of illness or have they had anything stressful happen to them lately? If they all appear healthy, I would guess it's heat related as the other posters have mentioned. Heat is harder on birds than the cold. Are they panting and holding their wings away from their bodies? If so, that is a sign they are hot. There are several measures you can take to help them cope with heat. Some of the things we do with our flock are:
Extra waterers with frozen ice bottles in them
Box fan in the coop to help circulate the air (doesn't blow directly on them)
As much shade as possible (natural & man-made)
Shallow pans for wading
Cool treats like watermelon and cucumbers
Hosing their run down a few times a day

If it's hot where you are, you can try some of these things and see if they begin laying again. Good luck.

Nice to have you here!

 

[sunflour]

so glad you have joined us.

Heat does alter their laying hormones and is the likely cause, but do entertain the other suggestions and rule out other possible issues.