Chickens not laying suddenly

[farmgirllvo]

I had 3 hens laying 2-3 eggs a day over a week they stopped laying any.
A week later I got 4 more “currently laying” hens- they have laid no eggs since I got them.
currently I have 7 hens and get 1 egg a day.

they have water and oyster shells(started this 5 days ago) whenever they want.

scratch grain hen feed 1/2 cup per chicken daily. They are free range so they’re getting all sorts of treats.

i locked them in their run for over a week and still no eggs- so they’re not laying at all(even if they are hiding them.

They’re not getting eaten by animals because I’m home all day and checking. They’re not eating their eggs and they have clean bedding in 3 nests.
I don’t believe they are molting- they all look pretty good and not losing feathers.
The weather hasn’t changed drastically- it has been smoky from fires- could that be it?

Who’s got ideas for what to try?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Smoke could be a factor (as a stressor). And adding in new birds is definitely a stressor. The newly arrived birds are unlikely to lay for a week or two until they begin getting used to their new home.

Also what exactly are you feeding them? Just scratch? Or there's feed as well? How much scratch vs how much chicken feed, and what feed specifically (link or name of the product)? Depending on the quality of your forage, their diet could be too unbalanced to sustain laying.

 

[Perris]

if you have introduced 4 newbies recently (which is how I read your post) it's just the change in circumstances for all concerned that's interrupted their laying. The pre-existing birds suddenly have new competitors for resources and space, and the newbies suddenly have a new home and new neighbours.

 

[aart]

Great posts and questions above.

It's also molting time...so any bird that's around 14-18 months old will be slowing/stopping egg production.(I'm assuming you live in the northern hemisphere)
Eggs are a seasonal food.

 

[Acre4Me]

@farmgirllvo - how old are the original hens? Possible molting, but if so, then you will see feathers in the run, more than usual. Some molt heavily and some lighter, but will see the excess feathers on the ground.

feed: a half cup scratch per bird is A LOT! Give them formulated feed all day, and limit any scratch to the late afternoon/evening if you really want to treat them. And give less scratch. I’ve started to use a whole grain feed as scratch. I put it in a wide open feed pan so none is left behind for rodents to enjoy. They pick out their favorite bits, but it’s all gone by the end Of the day.

water: they will stop egg production if without water or water isn’t easy to get. So, have at least 2 water stations, so any bully cannot control both stations (same for feed). If it’s hot, put out open pans of water in the shade (or add ice) do they can drink fully. Sometimes, with just nipple waterers, they may not get enough water in hot weather (seen this mentioned occasionally). Water temp is another factor-they won’t drink warm/hot water. So locate the water in a cooler area/add ice if needed. Personally, I’ll feed wet feed when really hot-they think it’s a treat. I give it to them in the afternoon when their run is mostly shaded. They get water while they eat. I often sprinkle scratch on top.

New hens: stress the original ones, and are stressed themselves. However, this should be over or almost over since you’ve had them for awhile now.

 

[farmgirllvo]

if you have introduced 4 newbies recently (which is how I read your post) it's just the change in circumstances for all concerned that's interrupted their laying. The pre-existing birds suddenly have new competitors for resources and space, and the newbies suddenly have a new home and new neighbours.

It's been 2 weeks tho, you think it really could take that long?

 

[farmgirllvo]

Smoke could be a factor (as a stressor). And adding in new birds is definitely a stressor. The newly arrived birds are unlikely to lay for a week or two until they begin getting used to their new home.

Also what exactly are you feeding them? Just scratch? Or there's feed as well? How much scratch vs how much chicken feed, and what feed specifically (link or name of the product)? Depending on the quality of your forage, their diet could be too unbalanced to sustain laying.

I am feeding them

New Country Organics Soy-Free, Corn-Free Layer Feed​

 

[farmgirllvo]

Great posts and questions above.

It's also molting time...so any bird that's around 14-18 months old will be slowing/stopping egg production.(I'm assuming you live in the northern hemisphere)
Eggs are a seasonal food.

It seems early for molting and they are showing no signs of molting

 

[farmgirllvo]

@farmgirllvo - how old are the original hens? Possible molting, but if so, then you will see feathers in the run, more than usual. Some molt heavily and some lighter, but will see the excess feathers on the ground.

feed: a half cup scratch per bird is A LOT! Give them formulated feed all day, and limit any scratch to the late afternoon/evening if you really want to treat them. And give less scratch. I’ve started to use a whole grain feed as scratch. I put it in a wide open feed pan so none is left behind for rodents to enjoy. They pick out their favorite bits, but it’s all gone by the end Of the day.

water: they will stop egg production if without water or water isn’t easy to get. So, have at least 2 water stations, so any bully cannot control both stations (same for feed). If it’s hot, put out open pans of water in the shade (or add ice) do they can drink fully. Sometimes, with just nipple waterers, they may not get enough water in hot weather (seen this mentioned occasionally). Water temp is another factor-they won’t drink warm/hot water. So locate the water in a cooler area/add ice if needed. Personally, I’ll feed wet feed when really hot-they think it’s a treat. I give it to them in the afternoon when their run is mostly shaded. They get water while they eat. I often sprinkle scratch on top.

New hens: stress the original ones, and are stressed themselves. However, this should be over or almost over since you’ve had them for awhile now.

It's a scratch, layer feed that I give them-

New Country Organics Soy-Free, Corn-Free Layer Feed. I soak it and they get 1/2 cup each daily. They're not hungry, I can tell by how they eat.​

They have enough water and I've watched to make sure they're all getting water.

There's really not bullying happening anymore at all.

I got 3 eggs for the first time today so maybe they just needed time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's a scratch, layer feed that I give them-

New Country Organics Soy-Free, Corn-Free Layer Feed. I soak it and they get 1/2 cup each daily. They're not hungry, I can tell by how they eat.​

Ok, so you're not feeding scratch then and are instead feeding a whole grain layer food served wet. Definitely makes a huge difference since scratch doesn't have extra vitamins and minerals and protein added in that the feed would.

I got 3 eggs for the first time today so maybe they just needed time.

Hopefully you continue to see more eggs from here on out!