Do chickens stop laying eggs completely?

[MKetter]

I’ve seen that egg production slows down in winter. Do they ever stop completely and begin again in spring?

I’m curious because I’ve been raising my brother’s chickens since April. The thought was I would have them only through the brooder stage, but it’s taken a long time to get his coop started and built. Now that it’s just about done and he will be getting his chickens soon, I was hoping he’d get winter eggs, so he could enjoy them now that he’ll finally have his chickens.

On a side note, he wants to keep his feeder and waterer off the ground. Is a cinder block good enough for the job? He’ll be using five gallon buckets for both (Poultry Pro brand feeder and waterer). Thank you.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With very young birds they may lay through winter or they may slow down, or may stop completely. With older birds it's pretty normal if they stop laying in winter... I've never had a hen over 1 1/2 years old lay through winter.

Cinder block is fine. I use upside down pots and buckets.

 

[Callender Girl]

Most of my chickens stop laying during winter, since egg production is linked to daylight hours which are much shorter right now. And, they restart in the spring, even my 8-year-olds occasionally produced this past spring.

In my experience, young hens will usually lay during their first winter. In my coop of six, who are now 2 years old, only a Wyandotte is still giving me eggs. In my coop of five 4-year-olds, a Calico Princess is still laying.

Some people provide supplemental light to convince the girls to produce year round; I think mine deserve a break. Plus, I hate finding split, frozen eggs when I don't get outside often enough.

I stack a few square concrete stepping stones under their feeders and waterers. Most of the waterers have wire handles, which I attach with chains to the overhead structure (whether it's a coop or covered run) to keep the little darlings from tipping the water, making more work for me and causing frostbite to themselves.

 

[Sinadrea]

I’ve seen that egg production slows down in winter. Do they ever stop completely and begin again in spring?

I’m curious because I’ve been raising my brother’s chickens since April. The thought was I would have them only through the brooder stage, but it’s taken a long time to get his coop started and built. Now that it’s just about done and he will be getting his chickens soon, I was hoping he’d get winter eggs, so he could enjoy them now that he’ll finally have his chickens.

On a side note, he wants to keep his feeder and waterer off the ground. Is a cinder block good enough for the job? He’ll be using five gallon buckets for both (Poultry Pro brand feeder and waterer). Thank you.

I have 16 hens and I get 2 or 3 a day now.

 

[theoldchick]

Older hens will stop laying in the winter.

 

[Snowbelt]

My soon-to-be-six year old Buff Orpingtons stop laying in winter and lay periodically again starting in Spring.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

15 layers, 0 to 3 eggs a day now. I am supplementing light so hope to get increased production soon. I agree they need a break but six months of no eggs is a more than "a break" in my opinion. Two months plus is more than enough, let's get back to work, Ladies!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have had leghorns, and Andalusians lay through the snowy winter, even old ones, and cold winters.

 

[Debbie292d]

My older ones will lay all winter, just half or less as many. We keep the coops around 40F, but not sure that's the entire reason. Some have said if they're not spending all their energy to keep themselves warm, they'll lay, but that doesn't explain the ones in the warmer climates.

I just figure they owe it to me to dish out a few in the winter since in the summer they're broody half the time!