HELP!!!!!!!!!!! ALL of my hens have stopped laying eggs!

[dolfi]

I have a couple that has not lay anything yet. I have them since December. Previous owner said that she had went broody and hatched 9 of her own, any one can tell me how can I boost her. She a bantam by the way.

 

[1360 church rd]

MY hens have stop laying it's be almost two mouths I have 100 hens?

 

[dolfi]

MY hens have stop laying it's be almost two mouths I have 100 hens?

wow and no eggs?

 

[sperry]

We bought 4 pullets (about 6 months old)two RIR and two Easter egg layers for the kids in Oct 2012. This past winter they All stopped laying and now we are just starting to get just one egg from the same hen every other day. I think it's the sunlight but I did notice that the RIReds were producing very thin shells (which were breaking) before they stopped laying. Trying to figure out the same thing are they too old now? or is weather a factor. I've threatened them verbally with words like crockpot and shake n bake but that hasn't helped!

 

[Yukonn15]

I looked up this thread because I'm having the same problem with my girls. We have 5 now. Maybe one looks like she's molting. I have two Easter eggers who will still lay a couple eggs every 4 days. I have two Red Stars that used to never miss a day no matter what season it was. Also a Buff Orp who used to be better. There are all 2 years old. I don't know if they are stressed or how long that can go on, but I need some eggs. We had one injured, put in quarantine , heathy now, but had to cage the bully for a few days and. Changed the coop some to add more roosting bars. They all look strong and healthy now. But that happened about a month ago.

 

[cafarmgirl]

It is very normal for birds this age, well any mature bird actually, to slow way down or stop laying completely this time of year as they get ready to molt. I currently have 7 two year old birds and all but two have stopped laying completely, one is half naked in heavy molt, a couple of the others have just started dropping feathers, the rest will soon. It is a normal and inevitable part of their life cycle.

 

[Yukonn15]

Thanks , it does make me feel a little better knowing its normal. I heard that you can run the shells through a food processor and it's good for them in the feed. I have a young Peking duck that's laying everyday. She's making up for all the chickens. Wish I had only girl ducks.

 

[roseyred]

Help! All of my hens have suddenly stopped laying eggs. I have 21 chickens(including 2 roosters). A few of my hens are old and don't lay anymore, BUT my Silver Laced Wyandotte hens(6 all together),BLRW and a few other mixed breeds don't lay eggs anymore and seem to have no interest in doing so. My chickens are free range,so I thought maybe that they were laying them outside somewhere. I kept my chickens inside the coop for 5 days..and nothing. I thought maybe they were eating their eggs...
so I stayed in the coop as often as I could to catch them laying and take their egg before they had a chance to eat it....and nothing. They weren't even going in the nests! My SLW and BLRW are all young,approximately 1.5 years old. What could be wrong?! This has never happened before. They are fed scratch,laying pellets and scraps(breads,veggies,left over meats etc.). Anyone have any advice or even know what's happening? We are just feeding them and they aren't earning their keep(we don't eat them though,let them die of old age) They are very healthy and beautiful birds(even the old ones). About 6-7 of them went broody this past summer and about 5 or so molted..but that's been all done for weeks now. I don't know what to do..I need their eggs.Thanks in advance! 

It could be a racon stealing them or even a person.

 

[hardychant]

Help! All of my hens have suddenly stopped laying eggs. I have 21 chickens(including 2 roosters). A few of my hens are old and don't lay anymore, BUT my Silver Laced Wyandotte hens(6 all together),BLRW and a few other mixed breeds don't lay eggs anymore and seem to have no interest in doing so. My chickens are free range,so I thought maybe that they were laying them outside somewhere. I kept my chickens inside the coop for 5 days..and nothing. I thought maybe they were eating their eggs...
so I stayed in the coop as often as I could to catch them laying and take their egg before they had a chance to eat it....and nothing. They weren't even going in the nests! My SLW and BLRW are all young,approximately 1.5 years old. What could be wrong?! This has never happened before. They are fed scratch,laying pellets and scraps(breads,veggies,left over meats etc.). Anyone have any advice or even know what's happening? We are just feeding them and they aren't earning their keep(we don't eat them though,let them die of old age) They are very healthy and beautiful birds(even the old ones). About 6-7 of them went broody this past summer and about 5 or so molted..but that's been all done for weeks now. I don't know what to do..I need their eggs.Thanks in advance! 

 

[hardychant]

Hi Msty4,
21, that's a lot to stop at once! I only have two hens, but they have gone underground in the laying department and I have been doing my best chicken whisperer to find out why. Please note, I have no experience with poultry, but have been researching this quite a bit. I found out molting and egg laying are incompatible. When one chicken molts the others tend to molt in synchronicity. The other thing which may pertain to me, is that I have well water and this can delete an essential mineral (I believe it was salt). Other things that can affect laying; diet, declining light (late summer into fall), illness.
I thought my babies missed me ......