Egg-laying STOP?

[crazygoatlady915]

Its so great to be on again! I haven't been on in FOREVER!

Anyways, I am here to ask a question to my fellow Araucana owners.
I have one 30 week old Araucana, who has been giving me about 6 eggs a week since she started laying. That is, until the weather got cold. She hasn't laid ONE egg in 3 weeks!
It's not really too cold 20-35 degrees (F) every day, and the others (RIRs and BPRs) continue to lay every day!
I knew her production would dip on the winter, but a complete stop? Is there something wrong?
I'm kinda sad without my green eggs

 

[crosbygroup]

I live in Southern California and all of my girls have stopped, for the last 3 weeks. NO EGGS!

They just turned 2 so they have no excuse - silly freeloaders. I'm hoping the strike ends soon.

 

[nurse_turtle]

It's not really due to the temperature or is it breed specific. If a hen doesn't get 14 hours of daylight per day, her egg-laying will greatly diminish and most likely stop altogether. Some folks add supplemental lighting, but that has its pros and cons. There are many threads here on supplemental lighting and its risks and benefits.

 

[shugaskull]

Try adding a heat lamp to there nesting area. Also yogurt and oyster shell calcium to there diet.
You can also add a day lamp to the area out side there nest to increase light hours, similar to what they do in some green houses during the winter months.

 

[TDM]

The hen thinks it is an inappropriate time of year to raise offspring, so she ceases to lay. People will fool birds into thinking that it is a good time to lay by recreating conditions that promote laying activity, such as increasing the daylight hours.

 

[T-Amy]

We recently supplemented lighting for our ladies with a timer & low wattage CFL lighting. Within 1 week we noticed an increase in eggs, 2 weeks even better results. I don't recommend 24* lighting as hens can become aggressive to each other & they need their rest. So, ours comes on at 4AM-9AM then they roost when it naturally gets dark in the late afternoon. If you have the light turn off when it's dark out, the birds may not be able to find the roost so it's best to let them 'ease' into dusk. We also have a low wattage LED nightlight in there so it's not pitch-black. I've read that will not create any issues & help ease any potential anxiety they may feel at 100% darkness.
Keep the artificial lighting consistent- supposedly even one day without 14* can set them back on "strike." If they're molting, most birds won't lay during that time, either... poor girls might need a break which I think is where the controversy comes from- essentially forcing them to lay. I am not into having 20 "pets" so while I agree they're entitled to time off for good behavior (laying), I can't afford to keep non-layers throughout the year with no ROI.

I've also been told NOT to heat the coop (but do keep it protected from wind & severe elements) because as they become dependent upon the artificial heat source & if your power happens to go off, they don't have the 'weathering' to protect themselves. Plus, they NEED the airflow; here's an article I found helpful:

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/6/6-5/want_healthy_birds_give_them_fresh_air.html

While my coop is actually a shed, it doesn't have the 'openness' that's discussed in the above article, I DO leave the window open (with a screen) & try to keep the air flow going to ward off respiratory problems caused by silent ammonia.