Chickens are not Laying as much!!!!

[kiddobear39]

Hello I have 27 chicken they are all different breeds, but I have 3 EE and for some reason they are not laying right now they have stop laying it makes about a wekk and a half I'm just worried about them that their not sick or anything. They are still eating and drinking. But I was just wondering if it is just because of the shorter days some of my other hens have slowed down as well I live in New York and it gets cold at nite so I was wondering if their is anyone that can help me cause Iam having very many restless nite worrying about my girls. Since I just losted one to hawks and I don't want to lose another one cause I love my chicken dearly so if anyone can help I would greatly appericate it Thank you

 

[Ghostbelly]

don't worry they are just molting

 

[Ghostbelly]

molting is when they grow in warmer feathers so they just stop laying for a little

 

[jecombs]

They may be molting (if there are feathers all over their coop) or they might just be taking a break from laying because the days are so short right now. Egg laying is regulated by the amount of daylight, so it is normal for laying to slow way down in the winter. My 2 girls are molting right now and I'm only getting 1-2 eggs per week. As soon as the winter solstice passes in Dec and the days get longer, hopefully their laying will pick back up.

 

[kiddobear39]

I don't think that thier molting cause they are just only 7 months old and I thought they only molt after their first year???? I had one of my other hens that molted she was a year old this August and she went through it and she stop laying but I don't know could there be anything else wrong with them????

 

[Fred's Hens]

The days are incredibly short, as you suspected. We'll bottom out in another 3 or 4 weeks, and then, the days will slowly grow longer again throughout January.