Desperate for advice- my chickens are not laying-please help

[diamondie]

I have 6 chickens, all different breeds. They all layed eggs really consistently until probably May. Since then I get 1-2 eggs per day. One of which comes from my youngest one, one gets rotated and I know my americauna has not laid in months. They all seem perfectly healthy, pooping, eating, drinking. They are not even 2 years old, not molting. We do live in FL and it's been a hot summer but I ice their water and they get shaded parts of their run. They have 2 containers of purina organic layer pellets and 3 containers of water. We used to give them scraps but stopped 2 months ago when I thought that maybe that's causing the problem. I clean their coop and sprinkle DM all over. Never dewormed them. My dog's vet told me to sprinkle some powdered calcium on their food, but that didn't help. I don't know what else to do. I am at a loss here.

 

[staceyj]

If they aren’t molting and they are getting enough protein and calcium and you freerange at all, I’d look for a hidden nest somewhere.

I would never have thought of this happening with my girls but the joke was on me, and I found a nest loaded with eggs in the far back corner under their coop!

 

[Phaedra Winters]

I would agree with Stacey as that is the probable cause. That, or you were handed some older chickens and lied to about their age. Is there anything that could be an extreme stressor for them right now? Stress may also effect their laying.

 

[hillbilly91]

also look for pest that might be eating the eggs. I found this two days ago laying right beside my biddie pen.

 

[staceyj]

Or look for a way into the coop where a snake might be coming in and frightening them off the nest and forcing them to go somewhere else where they feel safer laying their eggs.

 

[diamondie]

Thank you for the responses. Our run is not very big, so I would definitely see eggs if they laid somewhere else. We also live in a very populated area and rarely see any snakes. Maybe a small black garden snake once a year. As far as stress, I can't think of anything besides the heat. I do appreciate the point of whether someone lied to be about their age. I would hope not since it's a small family farm but I guess you never know.

 

[Naser]

Other things I may things of; worms, egg eater hens or the hens are older than you think

 

[aart]

They are not even 2 years old, not molting.

So about 18 months old?
Prime age and time of year for laying to stop and molting to begin.
Molting is not always glaring apparent, some molt slowly, and they can stop laying before they start shedding feathers. If your birds are confined(so no hidden nests) then it's likely the fall/winter molt/break.