chickens not laying.. advice!

[thebaileybunch]

hello fellow chicken lovers,

so, i have researched this and tried so many things, so i have decided to come on here and ask for help. i have 8 lovely hens.. 2 of each: plymouth rocks, buff brahmas, austrolorps, and americaunas. it is summer here. they have a 6x6x7(high) coop with levels. they have a 10x6 run, but are free range. they all get along beautifully, are fed 100% organic layer pellets and numerous treats from the garden and get their fill of whatever else from the yard. i have oyster shells scattered all over their run. they are loved, and i let them know it. they are happy, with more than enough room to roam, plenty of perches, wooded areas, shady areas, etc.. they always have water and food. they show absolutely no sign of disease or illness.. or bugs on them.. or strange behavior. there have been no new additions to flock, change in environment, or molting. i wanted to say all of this to eliminate possible responses i have already heard, in all due respect.

so, this is what is happening. about a month and a half ago the girls were laying about 6-7 eggs a day. my americauna, sweets, became broody and stopped laying. about a week later her sister stopped laying too. now i am down to 4, if that, eggs a day, and in the past week it has been 3...2... and now today, 1. sweets is no longer broody but not laying, neither is her sister. the only ones laying are either the plymouths or brahmas. i do not understand what could possibly be happening. none are broody, or as i said showing negative signs. i have checked everywhere in the yard for eggs.. everywhere.. and tomorrow am going to keep them in the run (i hate to do that.. but must) to try to get to the bottom of it.. but i am wondering if anybody has experienced this because it seems i have gone down the checklist of typical issues. i am at my wit's end, and hope to hear back, and appreciate it so much, towards any help.

thank you,

rick

 

[thebaileybunch]

also.. no predators or threats.. i live in delaware, only thing are foxes, and the entire property is fenced in and protected by chicken wire all around in the woods very tight and secure..

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

How old are they?
If 12-18 months old, they may be starting to molt.

Keeping them confined for up to a week is a very good start,
as first you need to find out if they have actually stopped laying,
or are just laying somewhere else.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

and the entire property is fenced in and protected by chicken wire all around in the woods very tight and secure..

Sorry to say chicken wire is little protection against preds.
How big is property and how high is CW fence?

 

[thebaileybunch]

Thank you,

they are 9 months old the 28th. i do not see any signs of molting- i imagined that would be a primary possibility. and i feel as though they may be too young? and it being august. i am no expert.

i have searched the entire property.. under bushes, trees, behind things, under the shed, etc.. nothing. they've always, and still do, lay in the coop. but i will keep them in for a bit and see how that goes. i hate to, but their run is entertaining.

as for the wire, i know it isn't too much but helps. we only have foxes to worry about. the chicken wire is 4 feet high and is 300 feet long. i connected them to trees in a "zig zag" line so the ground is tough to dig under (roots) and the fence is very tight. but that's just so they can free range and keep dogs out. their run has hardware cloth all around buried 12-14 inches into the ground and connected to itself on all four sides. and about 2 inches down from that is gravel for the septic.

i will keep them in the coop/run and post any news. thank you for responding!

rick

 

[aart]

and i feel as though they may be too young?

Ehh...they can molt that young, not too common but certainly not a rarity.
I've had a few and have read of many others molting that young.
August is prime time for molt, the days have shortened exponentially since the first of August...it's the change in light more than the amount of light that triggers molting.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm curious why you say that foxes are the only predators you have? A quick google search turned up this: The white-tailed deer is the only large game animal found in Delaware today. Other animals found there include the fox, raccoon, chipmunk, rabbit, mole, muskrat, mink,otter, and some beaver.
Also, weasel is found in all 48 states. Also, plenty of hawks to be found in your fair state. Grey fox is known to be a good climber.

Back to the girls stopping laying: It's not uncommon for laying frequency to decrease as summer winds down and fall begins. You might consider adding some supplemental lighting.