Bulk seed

[countrybumpkin5]

Birds stop laying all the time. They have for as long as humans have domesticated them - one of the reasons people frequently ate the flock over winter, keeping just a few of the best birds to hatch new birds in spring. And often tried to time hatches so that new layers would produce over the first winter (whil older layers went to the table)

Virginia Tech Co-op
Oregon State (archived from almost two decades ago)
Mississippi State
U of KY
my local Extension office
Virginia Poly
UMN

The Omlet coop people (UK)
PBS Pet travel CO (UK)

With a quick search "why aren't my chicks laying" on Google, you will find hundreds of websites offering a very similar list of reasons hens stop laying. It is common, normal, and expected. There is nothing new about it, certainly nothing sensational about it.

Here's an October 1999 manual of considerations for Lohman Browns (start at lighting, p28)

Krueger was studying lighting levels on hen egg production ion the late 70s. Meyer joined in in the early 80s. Hard to find their research in print (pre-modern internet) but many modern lighting studies (mostly on LEDs - use "warm" wavelengths - yellow/reds) reference or rely on the findings of their prior works in pushing the envelope of our understanding. Not the first, however - here's something from 1960.

And pullets that started laying just this past September quit laying already Oct through current day. It's not because it's winter, at least not for everyone. Also, people that have had chickens for decades notice when something is awry.