Chickens not laying egg, could they be too old?

[HarryF1]

Hi everyone

All of my five chickens have stopped laying eggs! They eat well and drink water just fine, I'm starting to suspect that they may be too old as when I bought them a few months ago they'd only lay 1 and on a few occasions 2 eggs a day between all five of them, is there any way I could find out if they're too old to be laying eggs? They seem pretty healthy, they don't have any lice, and their housing had red mites until recently but that's been taken care of.

 

[JedJackson]

At this season it is common for hens to slow down or stop laying, for two reasons. First, molting will cause production to stop, and second, less hours of daylight will cause them to slow down or stop. You could try buying a light with a timer, which are available online, and installing that in the coop to see if it helps. They need about 14 hours of light for full production.

Another thing to check is feed. Make sure it has enough protein, 16% or preferably 18%. If you're using layer feed then you are probably fine, but limit treats and table scraps, because too much of that can throw protein and other nutrients off balance, meaning the percentage will be too low if they are getting lots of scraps. Also, free choice oyster shell is a good idea if you are not already giving them that.

It's difficult to determine age in adult chickens, but their legs and feet can give an indication. Smooth, shiny legs and feet mean the birds are younger. Thick scales and crustiness usually means the birds are older.

 

[Callender Girl]

It might just be that time of year. None of my runner ducks or variety of hens (Orpington, Wyandotte, Cochin Bantam and Iowa Blues) is laying now as the days get shorter. One of my Salmon Fav pullets started laying last week, but the Favs' coop and run is closest to the farm pole light that stays on all night; I don't know if that's enough to make Celeste think the days are longer or if it's just a coincidence. There aren't any lights in the coop itself and she prefers to dash outside and lay in the foliage behind the coop anyway.

 

[HarryF1]

At this season it is common for hens to slow down or stop laying, for two reasons. First, molting will cause production to stop, and second, less hours of daylight will cause them to slow down or stop. You could try buying a light with a timer, which are available online, and installing that in the coop to see if it helps. They need about 14 hours of light for full production.

Do you have any experience with using light in the coop is? How much of an effect will it have?

 

[HarryF1]

It might just be that time of year. None of my runner ducks or variety of hens (Orpington, Wyandotte, Cochin Bantam and Iowa Blues) is laying now as the days get shorter. One of my Salmon Fav pullets started laying last week, but the Favs' coop and run is closest to the farm pole light that stays on all night; I don't know if that's enough to make Celeste think the days are longer or if it's just a coincidence. There aren't any lights in the coop itself and she prefers to dash outside and lay in the foliage behind the coop anyway.

Have you tried using a light in the coop to see if it has any effects?

 

[aart]

Your birds are probably molting or getting ready to,
if they are about 18 months old and you live in the northern hemisphere.

Lighting can work but it's not like flipping a switch(haha!) and it's no guarantee.
Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

 

[JedJackson]

Do you have any experience with using light in the coop is? How much of an effect will it have?

Yes. It does make a difference in production in my experience, but there are no guarantees. Since it is not too expensive to light most coops, I think it's worth a shot. What you want is for the light to come on early in the morning when it is still dark out, rather than leaving it on in the afternoon after the sun sets.

Definitely read the article aart linked to, and perhaps do a BYC search on the topic before making a decision.

 

[Helloworld]

Everyone needs a vacay! I let my chickens go by the light we have. Even molting is affected by light. I agree with JedJackson...