Chickens stopped laying

[Farmerjim87]

Good day,

I've run into a problem with my flock. I've got a mixture of white leghorns, plymouth barred rocks, delawares, and rhoade island reds, all under 1 year old but definitely of egg laying age. Prior to this past monday they had been laying very well and very regularly, about 12 eggs per day. Monday (10/1) I got 3. No more since then. The Pekin ducks I have also stopped laying.

I live in Ohio so the days are getting shorter. I know light plays a factor in egg laying but I would think this would affect the white leghorns more than the others because as I understand it, they are supposed to lay all year long. I did recently butcher the red rangers that were living next to them. I can think of no other changes. They all appear extremely healthy.

I got a solar powered light and set it up to give them more daylight. When is a reasonable time to expect to start getting eggs again? Should I do anything else?

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Usually production slows as the days get shorter and they usually have a mini molt around their first winter. Lights can help but I don't use artificial lights. Short days and winter is your chickens natural vacation. Gives then a break helps them keep good weight in cold weather. But if your dead set on eggs use something brighter than a solar light and only turn it on in the early morning for a few hours because they still need sleep.

 

[aart]

Good day,

I've run into a problem with my flock. I've got a mixture of white leghorns, plymouth barred rocks, delawares, and rhoade island reds, all under 1 year old but definitely of egg laying age. Prior to this past monday they had been laying very well and very regularly, about 12 eggs per day. Monday (10/1) I got 3. No more since then. The Pekin ducks I have also stopped laying.

I live in Ohio so the days are getting shorter. I know light plays a factor in egg laying but I would think this would affect the white leghorns more than the others because as I understand it, they are supposed to lay all year long. I did recently butcher the red rangers that were living next to them. I can think of no other changes. They all appear extremely healthy.

I got a solar powered light and set it up to give them more daylight. When is a reasonable time to expect to start getting eggs again? Should I do anything else?

Are you free ranging?
That sudden of a stoppage leads me to believe they may be laying elsewhere.

A solar light will not likely do the trick, supplemental lighting needs to be closely controlled with a timer so the duration is the same every day, any change can knock things awry. Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting