All 6 hens haven't laid in 2 weeks

[mrives]

I have a wyandotte,black and blue Austrlorp, dominique,easter olive egger, frizzle bantam. few months back bantam and Blue went broody and broke them, ( from this blog) but during that time only 2 where laying. We had a brutal summer this summer!!Super HOT.. Last month was getting 2-3 day different girls where laying them, then only one was laying, then the last 2 weeks none!! Today was daylight light savings. Yes they are molting but that seems like for 2 weeks now, I have increased protein, no mites, no injuries, feed profile hasn't changed, they are 36 months old, weather has cooled off some...any suggestions? How long does molting take? I have had them for 1 yr because friends moved out of state. They have never free ranged ( unfortunately) but I " MIGHT " be able to let them out of the run on occasion. ( HOA won't allow chickens but was able to keep them as emotional support animals ...whole other story!!) We love our girls and want to make sure there isn't anything going on beside Molting and weather!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's their age. Just before molting they'll either stop laying or lay at very reduced amounts (which you're already seeing), and won't resume again until daylight length increases again.

If you need consistent egg production you'll need to stagger the ages of your flock and add new (young) birds each year or every other year. Eggs are a seasonal food otherwise.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Whereabouts are you located? If in the northern hemisphere, days are getting shorter and many birds may not lay until daylight hours lengthen in late February or so. Also, how old are your birds? After two or three years of age, many birds slow way down on laying or may even stop altogether depending on breed.

 

[jus10inla]

HOA won't allow chickens but was able to keep them as emotional support animals ...whole other story!!)

Im more concerned about this tahn eggs… makes it even harder for people who really do need real support animals than some backyard chicken keeper..

 

[mrives]

Im more concerned about this tahn eggs… makes it even harder for people who really do need real support animals than some backyard chicken keeper..

Jus10inla: I'm prior military and 20yrs firefighter...diagnosis PTSD...I really need emotional support animals!! If someone REALLY needs support animals ( I guess I dont.. or I WOULDN'T have got 'em) they to can go through the process and get freaking pigs or dogs it isn't that hard and pretty sure there is NOT a set number of certifications for support animals!!!..my point was my HOA would not allow chickens and my friends where moving around the same time I was seeing my therapist and it all worked out....that was the " whole other story" but thanks for your concern!!!

 

[mrives]

Whereabouts are you located? If in the northern hemisphere, days are getting shorter and many birds may not lay until daylight hours lengthen in late February or so. Also, how old are your birds? After two or three years of age, many birds slow way down on laying or may even stop altogether depending on breed.

Suburb of Houston,tx

 

[mrives]

As stated in initial post...daylight savings just started today...and this has been as issue for the last 2 plus weeks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I believe you stated you're new to chickens. It's my understanding that chickens, ideally, need about 14 hours of daylight a day for top production, at least I've heard that's what commercial producers provide battery hens. Everyone I know who has chickens tells me their hens quit laying weeks ago. Out of my 20 hens, I'm getting 3 to 5 eggs a day, and that's rather remarkable. A couple of years ago my hens quit laying in mid-August because of heat, then went into molt, and finally decided the days were too short to lay, and did not start again until some time in February, when in desperation I started adding light to the hen house in the evenings. So I was without eggs for close on to six months! Hopefully yours will do better than that.

 

[jus10inla]

Jus10inla: I'm prior military and 20yrs firefighter...diagnosis PTSD...I really need emotional support animals!! If someone REALLY needs support animals ( I guess I dont.. or I WOULDN'T have got 'em) they to can go through the process and get freaking pigs or dogs it isn't that hard and pretty sure there is NOT a set number of certifications for support animals!!!..my point was my HOA would not allow chickens and my friends where moving around the same time I was seeing my therapist and it all worked out....that was the " whole other story" but thanks for your concern!!!

I stand down from original statement. I have a family member who definitely needed a support animal. He had ALOT of trouble due to those who abuse the system. Albeit, on this forum, there are people who abuse the system and it chaps my ass . Look, if u need one, great… but if you are just getting one certified as ESA just so u can have backyard chicks in an area that doesn’t actually allow them.. thats when i get the rhett ass

 

[jus10inla]

Wasnt tryi to be rude. Hope u understand where im coming fro also tho. It also goes baxk to dogs… all the millenium xyz alphabet safe spaces queens think that if they get there ankle biter certified they can bring it anywhere.. when it shouldn’t lead the house / has no formal training.

You should know that an emotional support animal is not the same thing as a service animal. And down here i see it daily.