Chickens not laying eggs

[Gioia]

My chickens started a huge feather molt about 2 mos. ago. (April) Was told it was bird flu?
They're still molting not as much. In the meantime we had a rat in the coop. We took care of her, sprayed foam through obvious opening. Cleaned everything up, disinfected. Still no eggs even though I've fed them with a variety of organic foods, supplements. They are two years old. Have they reached the end of their egg cycle? Any help is so appreciated. Thanks

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Who told you it was bird flu? Molting is normal. Two years old is not too old to lay eggs. What are you feeding exactly and how much of each thing? Chickens need protein to recover from a molt, not “organic foods and supplements” although I would like clarification on what those things are. How many chickens do you have?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are you in northern or southern hemisphere? If northern, did you supplement light in the winter to keep them laying? Did they molt last fall?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

OP hasn’t been back since they registered on Thursday, but the Southern Hemisphere bit could explain a lot. Molting in April (equiv of October in Northern Hemisphere), it’s beginning of winter there/ almost winter solstice (June 20) and so less light… If so, a winter pause for 2-year-old hens.

That being said, if you read this OP, nutrition is an enormous factor in laying wherever you live. Chickens are omnivores, including being obligate carnivores. This means that they MUST have animal protein as part of their diet, because there are some essential amino acids that are very, very difficult to get in a 100% plant-based diet. Most of this animal protein would generally be insects, worms, and other invertebrates, but it can also include unlucky lizards, small servings of ground beef, scrambled eggs, sardines, and if protein-deprived enough, each other.

It is a perfectly honorable and sensible thing for us (humans) to choose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, as long as we understand human nutrition. But chickens aren’t humans and vice versa: we don’t have to grow and maintain feathers, we don’t maintain a body temp of 105°F/ 40°, and thank God, we don’t ovulate daily (whew.)

The overall protein level of everything they eat (bagged feed, treats, free range) should be at least 16%, preferably higher when molting or otherwise stressed. Try offering them fish, cooked scrambled eggs, yoghurt, live crickets, and other animal-sourced protein, and if you are buying chicken food for their main diet, check the label to be sure that it says “feed” and not “scratch,” with that minimum of 16% protein. Dried insects like mealworms are good protein sources, but they also have a lot of fat, so be careful there.

Welcome to BYC! Hope you update, and good luck with your hens