Any Ideas why ALL my Hens stopped laying

[nittanyxi]

No one has laid an egg since October 22nd

I have 12 standard size hens that were one year old june 2011.
They all started laying between sept of last year and Jan of this Year.
Some were molting but some had already molted and started laying again so molting isnt the reason
They have artificial light so shorter days are not the problem
none of them appear sick. no runny nose, no sneezing.
poops look normal

I also have 2 Standard EEs that I raised from chicks this spring that started laying the end of August
They have not molted but stopped laying eggs the same time as all the others.

Starting the begining of October I let them free range 2 or 3 afternoons a week for an hour or so each day.
I had flower beds of Marigolds and Impatients that they picked though among other things.

Is it possible they all ate something that affected the egg laying process?
Anyone have any Ideas?

Just seems odd thay all stopped laying at the same time, Even the ones that I just raised this spring.

Does anyone else have 10 or more laying hens that are healthy and have artificial light to compensate for the shorter day and getting 0 eggs?

 

[sonew123]

Not odd at all..It's that time of year
Lice/mites???

 

[BlazeJester]

Worms? Did you worm them while they were molting? You won't see worms in their poop unless they're super sick.

 

[nittanyxi]

what do I get to worm them?

 

[peterlund]

Bad time of year for eggs where you reside.... Wait a few months (and many bags of feed) and they will reward you handsomely!

 

[BlazeJester]

Quote:
Search for worming and look for responses from Dawg53 (the number might not be right but I know his handle is Dawg). He has done extensive research into worming and you will find all the information you need. Unfortunately when I was looking through them yesterday I did not bookmark any of those pages.

 

[emerald eyes]

My laying hens have also gone on "strike" for the past week. I figured it was a mixture of the cold weather, shorter days and molting. Today, I cleaned out their coop, pretty dirty & smelly in the coop. Tonight when I went to check on everyone, to my surprise the 3 hens were in the nesting boxes! Something they haven't done in about 10 days. Last winter, we had 12 laying hens, which at about the same time slowed in their laying, we went from getting 10 eggs a day to 2 eggs. I don't know if only a few were still laying, they wouldn't write their names on the eggs. However sometimes I used to find feathers still stuck to the eggs..I guess they heard me asking those egg it was.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

I have 2 hens and 5 pullets. The 2 hens were laying 6 out of 7 days, sometimes 7 days per week. 3 of the pullets laid 6 out of 7 days, and 1 pullet laid a large brown egg every day! 1 pullet is a slacker and STILL has not laid and she's 8 months +.
When we got that snowfall in SW pa, ALL of my girls who were laying STOPPED. For 3 weeks, we got no eggs, then we were getting 2 eggs every 3 days. 1 hen started molting shortly after that snowfall, she is laying again. The other hen is laying every day to every other. Same with 3 of the pullets.
I guess our large brown egg layer has gone on strike until the weather warms up. She's not eggbound, acting normal, no mites, no worms. Her normal piggish behavior with snacks and treats.
This is our first year with chickens.

 

[mstarr]

I am befuddled with the same situation. Within 2 days, all 7 of my hens stopped laying. My chickens have 14 hours of light per day because I add artificial light. We have had a cold snap here in Ohio, but I'm still trying to figure this out. I have a young bourbon red turkey with them who is still laying.

On the subject of worming, I read somewhere that pumpkin and squash seeds are a good, natural way to worm poultry so I give my fowl all my seeds and they gobble them right up.

 

[bucky52]

I have one that stop laying in october also.maybe it is the shorter days and she just came out of her molt.I did do my 6 month worming last night.i have a total of seven.some days i may get five eggs and some days i get none.i'am not worried about the eggs.more so about their health.