Chickens not laying

[Dcarlson]

I live in MN and I have 4 chickens and about 2 months ago 3 of my chickens stopped laying eggs. Now today they all stopped laying. I don’t know what’s wrong with them? I have them close to the house being it’s winter time. They have a heat light in there nesting box area. I changed there food gradually for higher protein, they get corn and dried worms every day. What can I do or what needs to be done to help them?

 

[Birdsong 82]

The shorter days coming in Is certainly going to have an affect on them. Are they molting?

 

[Dcarlson]

The shorter days coming in Is certainly going to have an affect on them. Are they molting?

What exactly happens when they Molt? How long does molting last for?

 

[Dcarlson]

The shorter days coming in Is certainly going to have an affect on them. Are they molting?

Not sure. What exactly happens when they molt? Do they do that in the winter?

 

[Birdsong 82]

Feather loss. You’ll see feather loss. Some molt more severe than other. It begins late fall to early winter. With some of them I don’t notice significant feather loss just finding extra feathers in the coop but some of them molt so severe they look half naked. I’ve had some of mine go over a month with no eggs due to molting and shortened days and some do stop.. just lay a lot less
It was just a thought
Do you notice anything off since they stopped laying? Any symptoms of anything else going on?

 

[Birdsong 82]

Oh by the way welcome to BYC!!! What breed and how old?

 

[Dcarlson]

Feather loss. You’ll see feather loss. Some molt more severe than other. It begins late fall to early winter. With some of them I don’t notice significant feather loss just finding extra feathers in the coop but some of them molt so severe they look half naked. I’ve had some of mine go over a month with no eggs due to molting and shortened days and some do stop.. just lay a lot less
It was just a thought
Do you notice anything off since they stopped laying? Any symptoms of anything else going on?

I don’t notice anything else. I have seen lots of feathers in there pen though. They all seem to have there feathers now.

 

[Dcarlson]

Oh by the way welcome to BYC!!! What breed and how old?

Thanks, I don’t remember what breed they are. But they are 1 1/2 years old.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Some of my chickens look fully feathered while molting. I just find extra feathers in the coop and then some just look plain pitiful where they look half naked and looks like there was s pillow fight in the coop. Lol. How short have you days gotten? And temps. Sorry so many questions. Just trying to figure out if it’s shorter days and molt or something more

 

[Birdsong 82]

18 months is usually first real molt. Do they free range?