Do hens stop laying abruptly in suddenly hot hot weather??

[stephs]

I have 6 hens. One Blue Langshan went broody last week and won't get off the nest. She is still laying eggs. Like the rest, she is about 14 months old.
But, surprisingly, the rest of the chickens stopped laying for the most part. I have a mixture of breeds, 2 EEs, 2 different wyandottes and a barred rock. I had one odd-shaped robin's egg-sized egg come out of an EEgger, then a large one, then nothing. It's been about one week of this no-egg business, and all I can figure is it's the heat.

But it's only been really hot (90s) for two days. Not sure what to make of it. Any ideas?

 

[echlfan]

I got 3 eggs today & it is over 100. It is actually up since i turned off the light.

 

[keljonma]

You might find this chart helpful...

Heat Stress and Ambient Temperature

65°F to 75°F
Ideal temperature range.

75°F to 85°F
A slight reduction in feed consumption can be expected, but if nutrient intake is adequate, production efficiency is good. Egg size may be reduced and shell quality may suffer as temperatures reach the top of this range.

85°F to 90°F
Feed consumption falls further. Weight gains are lower. Egg size and shell quality deteriorate. Egg production usually suffers. Cooling procedures should be started before this temperature range is reached.

90°F to 95°F
Feed consumption continues to drop. There is some danger of heat prostration among layers, especially the heavier birds and those in full production. At these temperatures, cooling procedures must be carried out.

95°F to 100°F
Heat prostration is probable. Emergency measures may be needed. Egg production and feed consumption are severely reduced. Water consumption is very high.

Over 100°F
Emergency measures are needed to cool birds. Survival is the concern at these temperatures.

 

[stephs]

ok, so this might sound naive, but what is the correct cooling procedure?

I moved them to deep shade, keep water supply available, added a bathbowl (they seem to enjoy it) but is there anything else I should be dong? I wonder if I've inadvertantly cased this to happen...

Later in the day when I get back home I let them run around and dustbathe--but I can't allow them to roam while I'm gone.

Maybe something else is up.

 

[valentinebaby]

Don't bird usually go into molt at about this age? It's been over 100 degrees for the past 2 weeks here, and I have two young pullets who started laying at 17 weeks old two weeks ago about the time it hit the 100's. One is only laying about every 2-3 days now, but the other is laying every day! So, it could be the heat for you, but I would consider molting as an issue.

 

[accidentalchickenfarmer]

I have 8 hens, all about 14 months old as well, and they have suddenly stopped laying as well. I live in CT, and we have been lucky so far (knock on wood) to have amazingly fair temps. Today, it reached about 80 degrees with little humidity. I'm thinking we can attribute it to molting...

How long does the molting stage typically last...does anyone have any advice?

 

[Judy]

It's running in the 90's here, has been 100 a few times for a couple of hours this summer. My 3 mature laying hens are laying as usual, and my 21 week olds started a little over a week ago. The older ones are free range and send the heat of the day in the woods. The younger ones stay in the shade of the coop which has 1 1/2 sides that are completely hardware cloth plus maybe 8" wide vents all across the top of the other two sides, and we have pretty good breezes, so they have very good air flow. They go out in their yard early morning and in the evening when the sun is low (and the hawks have gone to bed.)

It's too humid here for a swamp cooler, but in desert type areas, this is a simple and inexpensive approach. I don't have a mister but do hose down the coop and surrounding grounds on the worst days. They aren't even interested in the shady muddy areas I create. I change the water so it is cool and fresh during the worst part of the day. Their coop floor is dirt with pine shavings and they regularly make new dust bath areas in the coop.

Keljonma, I have bookmarked that chart, good info!

I saw an idea on here that I liked but have not done yet. Lay a larger cooler on its side and put a couple of those refreezable blue ice things inside. It makes a mini cool room for them that they can walk into. Change out the blue ice things by putting them in ziplocs to go in the freezer, then taking out of the ziploc to put with the chickens; saves a lot of cleaning. Would be great for those with only a few chickens, I would think.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Varies a lot, I gather; has not happened here yet. Several weeks, maybe 2 months. Some extra protein helps as they need protein to grow feathers. I plan to supplement with canned mackerel, fish carcasses from cleaning fish, and any other handy meat source when it happens here.

 

[cmom]

My birds have went through several mini molts before they went into a major molt I had some birds that were about 1 1/2 yrs old before they went through a real molt. I think the molts and hot weather has caused my birds to slow down on their egg production.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Am I the only one that caught this part? If she is truly broody, she is not laying eggs. The other hens are laying eggs in her nest.