egg laying and the weather -- quick question

[jerrydude]

hi friends,

i've got 5 hens and they were all laying after they turned about 5 1/2 months old....until the weather got a bit cooler and they just stopped. Is this normal? The weather cools down just a little and so they stop laying altogether?

it's not that drastic a difference in temps but it does get colder at night. (40-50 degrees instead of 60)

I live in middle tennessee.

any insights?

thanks!

 

[woodmort]

Can't tell you why they stopped but will say it probably isn't the cool weather. My birds happily lay at -30 in midwinter with no problem except, if I don't get to the eggs in time they may freeze. I'd look elsewhere for the poor laying problem.

 

[KayP]

My bantams have done the same thing, but my standards are still laying. Don't know what's going on either.

 

[Tiss]

I live in Middle GA, and mine have slowed down this last week. We've had highs about 75 and lows in the 50's.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

West Tennessee and mine quit last week. I gave them some crushed red pepper and they started right back up. It turned cold quick, my theory is their bodies weren't ready for that cold front, and they are reserving their energy to make some much needed body heat during cold nights. Just a theory. Pepper helps, because it helps circulation of the blood. It worked for me. I put about a teaspoon per bird into their feed. Next day, an egg per bird out there.

 

[sheila3935]

Its cold here too last night in the upper 30's but my girls are still laying. Got 7 yesterday and 8 today and I have 8 laying.

 

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

The nights are getting chilly here south of Boston (the other night it was in the 40's) but we're still getting the same (6 eggs every day from our 6 girls) ... they are 5 1/2 months old too. Over the past few days we've been finding a couple of eggs on the floor of the coop and under the roost - maybe your eggs are hidden somewhere in the coop?