Chickens suddenly stopped laying for 3 months?

[DKH]

All of our hens stopped laying suddenly around early March (Autumn in Australia). We suspected rats after finding egg reminants in the laying boxes, including fertilised ones that one of our Mama Hen was sitting on and put the halt in egg production down to stress and the fact that some hens may have been molting. It's now been 3 months with 0 eggs, the rat problem has been taken are of and they are all fully feathers & finished with their molting.

The laying hens are Leghorns, Arucana x Australorp and Bantams all between 10-14 months, and had been laying almost daily prior to stopping. We've noticed they aren't squatting when we pat their backs like they used to, and our very vocal roosters have stopped crowing (unsure if related).

They have plenty of Layers Mix and fresh water available to them throughout the day, get plenty of time & space to free range and are up to date with their worm treatment. They seem to be healthy and well.

Am I being impatient or could there be something else going on? Or something else I should try?

 

[nuthatched]

If it's autumn, it's likely just time for a 'winter break'.

 

[DKH]

If it's autumn, it's likely just time for a 'winter break'.

Thank you. I am aware most breeds take a winter break, but they haven't layed for the entire Autumn already. If they take winter off, they won't have layed for 6 months. How long do they usually take off?
This is our first year with these breeds so unsure what to expect.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Thank you. I am aware most breeds take a winter break, but they haven't layed for the entire Autumn already. If they take winter off, they won't have layed for 3 months. How long do they usually take off?
This is our first year with these breeds so unsure what to expect.

3-4 months is about the time they take off before starting to lay again.

 

[DKH]

3-4 months is about the time they take off before starting to lay again.

Hopefully they start laying again soon then

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you. I am aware most breeds take a winter break, but they haven't layed for the entire Autumn already. If they take winter off, they won't have layed for 6 months. How long do they usually take off?
This is our first year with these breeds so unsure what to expect.

It depends, is this their first or second winter?
Low daylight hours cause reduced hormones that cause laying, it's to prevent chicks in inclimate weather to help aid survival.

 

[DKH]

It depends, is this their first or second winter?
Low daylight hours cause reduced hormones that cause laying, it's to prevent chicks in inclimate weather to help aid survival.

This will be the first winter for most, but is all of their first winter since they've started laying. I've heard that a lot of breeds reduce or stop laying in winter, but is it normal that they've taking off the entirety of Autimn too?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

This will be the first winter for most, but is all of their first winter since they've started laying. I've heard that a lot of breeds reduce or stop laying in winter, but is it normal that they've taking off the entirety of Autimn too?

How far south are you? In other words, how many hours of daylight do you get in late June-July?

If you like, you can add a light on a timer inside the coop to mimic summer daylight, stretching it up to 15 hours or so a day. I don’t plan to do this for mine, so that they can have a break, but since yours took their break early, triggered by the rat problem, this might ease them back onto schedule for the coming year.

 

[triciayoung]

If it were me, I would do a cloacal swab of 1-2 hens and send to a lab to test for salmonella, leptospirosis, and pasteurellosis. I would also get rid of feed and most likely had rat droppings in it, which brings another group of diseases. All of these can reduce or stop egg laying and needs to be treated.

 

[WildNectarine]

How far south are you? In other words, how many hours of daylight do you get in late June-July?

If you like, you can add a light on a timer inside the coop to mimic summer daylight, stretching it up to 15 hours or so a day. I don’t plan to do this for mine, so that they can have a break, but since yours took their break early, triggered by the rat problem, this might ease them back onto schedule for the coming year.

Please note: Toying around with their light exposure, and forcing summer, will drastically shorten their chicken lifespan, and possibly increase chances of reproductive issues, I know this from raising many pet quail indoors, and accidentally thinking that having the lights on whenever I needed them was fine, poor birdies.