Chickens haven’t laid an egg in three months

[Ssthmo2002]

Is anyone else having issues with their ladies not laying? Any tips!??? We always expect a drop off in the fall and winter but seriously we haven’t seen an egg in 3 months. We have 2 chickens that are 4 years old fro that are 2.5 years old and two that are just under a year.

 

[FunClucks]

Where in the world do you live and how much daylight do you get there? And, key question, how much daylight do the girls get each day in their specific environment? If any of those answers is less than 10 hrs per day, them not laying doesn't surprise me for most of your chickens.

The two that are just under a year should be laying up until they're 18m old, but individual chickens can sometimes deviate from the norm. Also, have they been under stress? Very cold, very dark, lots of snow? Predators? Dietary challenges (bullied away from the food or water, insufficient calcium access)? Illness? Any of these things or a combination of these things can contribute to a stop in laying, and once they stop they usually don't start again until spring, when you have 10 hrs daylight naturally again. Or you could try putting supplemental lighting in their coop to restart their laying. It's good for them to take a few months to rest though, it helps their long term health.

I'm in Alabama USA, have lots of natural daylight, and keep them in a covered run (no coop) under a transparent tarp under some (currently leafless) trees. We've had an incredibly mild winter so far, more like late autumn weather. Usually we only have a few days of snow - getting two weeks of snow is unusual. It's cold for about 2-3 months, Dec-Feb. I have one heritage meat bird girl this year who molted early, and has decided to lay through winter, even though she's 2+ years old. I'm totally hatching her babies once I get a broody hen. Those genetics could give me layers year round without having to add new birds We'll see if she does it again next year, and if her babies inherit that tendency...

 

[FunClucks]

Also, what are you feeding them, and what's the protein content?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Assuming all needs are met (good feed, water, stress-free environment) and they are otherwise healthy the limiting factors would be genetics, age and daylight. Not surprised the older girls quit laying earlier in the season but I feel the younger ones should still be popping out an egg or two if they aren’t molting. My second year hens have mostly all molted and quit laying, one or two early molters started back up but only one has continued now that the days are short.

Something I didn’t know, sometimes even first season pullets can go through a fall molt. I keep track of who is laying what and when so I noticed a handful of my younger girls stopped laying soon after starting up. Figured it was just a fluke and they decided to take an early break, then I noticed those few looked a bit scruffy in the neck area. Missing feathers and now they have pin feathers on the neck and head. Google suggests it can sometime happen. The more you know.

Also, it may be worth going on an egg hunt if your girls free range. My pullets were nuts last year and were laying in really hard to find spots. Only figured it out because the dog would bring up frozen eggs.

 

[FunClucks]

Assuming all needs are met (good feed, water, stress-free environment) and they are otherwise healthy the limiting factors would be genetics, age and daylight. Not surprised the older girls quit laying earlier in the season but I feel the younger ones should still be popping out an egg or two if they aren’t molting. My second year hens have mostly all molted and quit laying, one or two early molters started back up but only one has continued now that the days are short.

Something I didn’t know, sometimes even first season pullets can go through a fall molt. I keep track of who is laying what and when so I noticed a handful of my younger girls stopped laying soon after starting up. Figured it was just a fluke and they decided to take an early break, then I noticed those few looked a bit scruffy in the neck area. Missing feathers and now they have pin feathers on the neck and head. Google suggests it can sometime happen. The more you know.

Also, it may be worth going on an egg hunt if your girls free range. My pullets were nuts last year and were laying in really hard to find spots. Only figured it out because the dog would bring up frozen eggs.

I've had a few pullets molt in their first winter. Ticked me off. Half the reason I got them was so they would lay thru the winter. It does happen.

Frozen dog treats!!! (hehehehe!) Just no fun to clean up the mess from that, super fun for the dog.