Chickens abruptly and significantly dropped egg laying

[kcal]

This is my first flock, first winter (16 chickens - orpingtons, australorps, brahmas, and Easter eggers). I don’t supplement light, so naturally egg production decreased, but never stopped except for the Easter eggers. However, with days starting to get longer again, their laying had started to pick back up. I was getting 8-11 eggs a day consistently since the beginning of February. Last week they started decreasing suddenly. I got 4 eggs Thursday and Friday, and since then I’ve gotten 0-2 a day. That’s less than I got even during the shortest days of winter, I was getting 3-6 during that time period.
I’m not sure what could be causing this. They have free access to food and fresh water 24/7. I use the same layer feed I’ve always used. As far as treats, right now the only thing they get is a cup of scratch grains that I toss out shortly before dusk to kick in their digestive system to help them stay warm over night. They look and act healthy, I’ve checked for parasites, and they all come running every time I go outside to see what I have. I have a predator proof, rollaway nest box, so we don’t have an egg thief. And I’ve looked everywhere for a possible hidden nest.
The only two things I can think of are:
1. They normally share their outdoor space with our two goats. We moved our goats temporarily to my mother in law’s house to have them bred with her male. This was done 4 days before the drop in eggs. The goat hit was the first place I checked for a hidden nest because the chickens like to hang out in there during the day if it’s windy.
2. Our temps have been all over the place. Last Wednesday was almost 60°, then dropped drastically overnight to 0° and we got snow the next day. Had a few days of very cold, then back up to 50s over the weekend (but very windy), and now it’s back down to teens and 20s.
Any thoughts?

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Just my opinion- I think it could be due to the decreased temperatures confusing them, they may think winter is starting (not ending) so begin to slow down egg production. If you had supplimented lighting I believe they would still be laying because they'd assume it's summer.

 

[Ted Brown]

I live up in the Great White North, this winter has been very cold (-20Cs to below -30C) for much of late December through early February.

I have 16 layers and during the warmer months get 12-14 eggs, during this winter's cold months 0-3 was the norm.

Occasionally the temperature will go above 0C and I will see an almost immediate increase to 6+ eggs. Late February the temperatures rose to minus single digits, I am now getting 6-9 eggs per day.

My flock is spoiled: a 10' by 16' Woods coop with attached 400 square foot covered/tarped run accessible 24 hours a day. High protein layer mash with various treats at appropriate intervals. No artificial lighting.

I suggest two factors are in play for your flock. The low temperatures and shortened daylight hours. Their age may also be a factor; most of my flock have just come through their 3rd winter and my egg yield is not what it was during the first two.

Pretty normal I would say.

Smile Spring is near!

 

[aart]

Any thoughts?

They found another place to lay.
Confine them to the coop for a week.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd suspect a hidden nest or that something ate the eggs.

 

[kcal]

I live up in the Great White North, this winter has been very cold (-20Cs to below -30C) for much of late December through early February.

I have 16 layers and during the warmer months get 12-14 eggs, during this winter's cold months 0-3 was the norm.

Occasionally the temperature will go above 0C and I will see an almost immediate increase to 6+ eggs. Late February the temperatures rose to minus single digits, I am now getting 6-9 eggs per day.

My flock is spoiled: a 10' by 16' Woods coop with attached 400 square foot covered/tarped run accessible 24 hours a day. High protein layer mash with various treats at appropriate intervals. No artificial lighting.

I suggest two factors are in play for your flock. The low temperatures and shortened daylight hours. Their age may also be a factor; most of my flock have just come through their 3rd winter and my egg yield is not what it was during the first two.

Pretty normal I would say.

Smile Spring is near!

Thank you -
Their age shouldn’t be an issue as they are all less than one year old still. They will be 1 the end of March.
I do think the sudden drop in temps may have stressed them a bit. They are increasing (very slowly) and I’m now getting 4 eggs a day.

I am definitely looking forward to spring!

 

[kcal]

They found another place to lay.
Confine them to the coop for a week.

There’s not another nest, I am 100% certain of that. They aren’t free ranged (I have to train my 2 labs not to chase them before I will be able to free range them ). They have a 12’x8’ coop and a 40’x40’ run. I have scoured every square foot of their living space, even checked inside the hay feeder for our goats since the goats are gone right now and dug through the pine shavings in the coop to make sure none were laid there and then covered as they scratched around.
They do seem to have increased from 2 to 4 eggs a day and I just got 5 from the nest box today. I am hoping the sudden drop of almost 60°F in one day was the culprit and just stressed them, but I am continuing to look over the coop and run every day when I close them up for the night.