Curious about why no eggs

[melissathib]

I bought these 2 chickens 4 weeks ago, and the man told me they were 10 months old. I got an egg each from them the next day and no more since. They had a bit of trouble for the first couple of weeks getting along with my other 6 birds, but everyone seems to be better now.

Today, I looked at the one picture below and she looks funny to me. Her comb and wattle seem pale and her face and feathers seem not ok. Also, her tail feathers are all but gone. The third picture is of both of them, for comparison.

As for the weather, it's just starting to get cool here; highs in the upper 70s, lows in the low 50s. And my others seem to be laying fine, still.

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[PeepersMama]

They are probably molting. Sometimes chickens will act a bit slow while they grow in their new feathers, and almost always their combs will shrink. I wouldn't worry to much

 

[melissathib]

So the no eggs in 4 weeks isn't a worry? My husband says give them til Spring. I just didn't want something to be wrong and cause problems for my others.

 

[PeepersMama]

Yes, they will come to an almost complete stop when they molt. They need alot of protein to grow in the new feathers, and if they were really good layers, then they probably won't lay till they are done. throwthem a handful ofmealworms in the morning; that will help speed it up and give them a protein boost. Soon all of your birds should start loosing feathers, but it's nothing to worry about.

 

[melissathib]

We are in Louisiana and so have mild winters, but should I be concerned about them losing feathers this late? We're just beginning to get cooler weather. Should I do anything to help keep them warm if it gets down to the 50s or so during the day? Not too worried about night, as their coop is tight and can be warm with everyone snuggled together in there. Notexpecting any feeezing temps for a while.

 

[PeepersMama]

Na, 50's aren't that cold (for Coloradans, anyway

) They'll be fine. I have had girls molt so late it was snowing when they started, and they did just fine.

 

[PeepersMama]

There's also a contest on here right now for chickens that are molting horribly. You should look at it sometime

 

[melissathib]

Hmm. Might need to look at that! Thanks!

 

[azygous]

No one has mentioned the shortened days as being a factor in suspension of laying. Layers need a minimum of 12 to 14 hours of light exposure to trigger the egg laying hormones. The lack of these hormones is also what causes the combs to shrivel and go pale and dry out.

Getting your new layers just as the days shortened was also coincidental with the stress of the move to a new home and flock which also can curtail laying. Double whammy.

You can always try supplementing light by installing a low wattage light on a timer to come on a few hours before sunrise. You could possible have eggs again within a few weeks.

Cold doesn't really factor that heavily in laying. It's the lack of light. And 50 degrees is warm and balmy compared to what my chickens have to put up with. This week we're supposed to get down into the teens. Chickens are well equipped to deal with it. Me, not so much.

 

[aart]

We are in Louisiana and so have mild winters, but should I be concerned about them losing feathers this late? We're just beginning to get cooler weather. Should I do anything to help keep them warm if it gets down to the 50s or so during the day? Not too worried about night, as their coop is tight and can be warm with everyone snuggled together in there. Notexpecting any feeezing temps for a while.

'Tight coops' are not good....they need lots of ventilation all year round.

Even adding light at this point might not work, they need to grow their feathers back first.
But if you're going to use light, do so carefully or you may get the opposite results, light changes can be stressful if not properly applied
Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

Higher protein feeds will help them grow feathers back faster and keep them healthier while doing so.