Chickens Stopped Laying

[MWright936]

I’m sure there are 1000 posts with this title, but I’ve done my research and nothing seems to really fit, so I thought I’d post on here to see if anyone has any insight to my specific issue.
I have 2 Rhode Island reds and 2 Easter eggers. The two reds are moulting. One is just about done, but the other is still looking pretty scraggly. I know chickens don’t lay while moulting, but the Easter eggers aren’t moulting, and they’re not laying either.
They are all 3 years old, so it’s not age. There has been no diet change (Purina Layena pellets). They get plenty of food and clean water. They have been spending a little more time couped up rather than roaming the back yard, but they are getting out some. I am in Nacogdoches (East Texas), and we did have an early cold snap (just for a few days), but the temps have been mild since.
Is there such a thing as sympathy moulting? I don’t get why we’re not getting any eggs. It’s been about 2 weeks now with zero eggs!
Thanks for any help!

Matt

 

[Wyorp Rock]

3 yrs is sorta old

Days are shorter right now, egg laying has to do with hormones. Your RIR's may or may not resume laying once they finish molting, it could be the beginning of the year before they they start back.

If you want production, then it may be better if you get some hybrids or sex-links and rotate out every year, this will ensure that you "hopefully" have eggs year round.

 

[aart]

They can stop laying before actually molting.
A molt can be very subtle...you may not see a ton of feathers around.
If 3yo(hatched in spring of 2015) you've seen the molt and lack of eggs before, correct?

 

[MelindaU]

I am having the same problem. I have 2 Red Sexlinks, 2 Buff Orpington (currently molting), 2 Americauna, and 2 Australorps. It has been around 2 months and only 1 of the Red Sexlinks is laying, and only about 2 eggs per week. The first 4 are 2 years old and the other 4 are 3 years old. I live in New Mexico and it’s not real cold here, they also have clean water, plenty of food and a pretty good space to run around in. I also give them a vitamin supplement in their feed so I just think it’s weird that that have pretty much stopped laying. Can anyone provide any suggestions?

 

[aart]

Can anyone provide any suggestions?

The answer is in post number 2 above