21 chickens and all of a sudden NONE of them are laying

[trunkman]

Mine have slowed since the end of August, from 12 to16 eggs a day from 19 hens, I now have 25 laying hens because I have 6 pullets that are starting to lay and now I only get 2 to 5 eggs a day..I put a light in the coop this afternoon with the hopes of more eggs. My neighbors are my best customers and are waiting for more eggs, been about two weeks since I've been able to supply any of them with eggs.

 

[efanie]

sounds like me I have 30 birds and only getting about 5 eggs a day and do not know what to do

 

[bantamofopera]

Does sound like they are molting. I am waiting for eggs from new spring chicks now (fingers crossed they start laying before it gets really cold!!. But my old flock would always slow down, then quit altogether in November and December. We'd start getting a few eggs in January, and usually have enough to start selling some again in February. And this is in Vermont, with an unheated, unlit coop. So don't give up hope. Give them 6-8 weeks and maybe some protein treats (cooked beans?) as they start coming out of the molt and they'll lay again, have no fear. But it does rather rankle to be buying chicken feed AND eggs, right? I feel your pain. I keep saying that the first egg I get from my flock is a $400 egg!

 

[efanie]

thank you this is about how I feel about now last nightwe got 10 eggs so that makes me happy