Chickens have stopped laying

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Lisjad

Lisjad

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Jun 16, 2015
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Maui, Hawaii
Help! All of my chickens have stopped laying. They are all around 2 years old and are fed layer crumble and scratch corn everyday. They are in a large outdoor enclosure with nesting boxes in coops for laying. I have 19 chickens who were laying consistently at least 6 eggs a day, today I got only 1. The past few weeks I have been getting about 3 a day. I know the silkies don't lay much, but I haven't had a silkie egg in over two weeks and I have 8 silkies. I have noticed about 3 silkies and 2 australorps camping out in the one coop where they all lay. Pretty sure they have gone broody, but why is the rest of my flock on strike?
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Check for signs of mites or lice. Has there been any stress going on within their lives lately? ( A recent predator attack, change in weather, etc.) Do they have water and calcium? Are they molting by any chance? Sometimes hens take breaks from laying but it's odd that all your hens stopped around the same time. Is it possible they could be hiding their eggs?

Be sure to check out this link as well https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/why-are-my-hens-not-laying

Good luck!
 
They have water. Should I be giving them oyster shell for calcium? When I feed them, they get layer crumble and scratch. They all love the scratch and leave most of the crumble for the wild birds. Not sure if they are getting enough nutrition. It's June, and a little warmer on Maui, but not much. They don't have mites and are not hiding eggs. I did introduce 3 new chicks to the group a few weeks ago. You think that did it?
 
Lisjad said:
They have water. Should I be giving them oyster shell for calcium? When I feed them, they get layer crumble and scratch. They all love the scratch and leave most of the crumble for the wild birds. Not sure if they are getting enough nutrition. It's June, and a little warmer on Maui, but not much. They don't have mites and are not hiding eggs. I did introduce 3 new chicks to the group a few weeks ago. You think that did it?
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Either use oyster shells or crushed, rinsed eggshells. And after you telling me that, yes, those new birds most likely caused this decrease in egg production. When new birds come into the picture, things because stressful and hens stop laying.
 
Also they like the scratch better so as you said they are not eating much layer feed. They are lacking nutritional feed. Maybe you can hold off on the scratch till they get an appetite for layer feed again, and give less scratch than before
 
Welcome!

My girls would stop laying with sudden weather fluctuations and would resume when they became accustomed to the temperatures/conditions. Perhaps yours are feeling the heat a bit?
 
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