Egg strike!

[FarmerHeidi]

We've had slow production for a few months now (since we had a fox attack and lost a flock member) Since then production for the 4 girls has been about 2 eggs a day. The past few weeks have been lower 0-1 and for the past week we've had none!! (Not even one!!) I've researched and given excuses for the girls, molting, decrease in daylight, confinement now that they are no longer free range, etc. I guess I can't pin point exactly why my girls are so unhappy and not laying but I wonder if anyone has any tricks to get egg production back? We've added a light to the coop, which we keep on an hour or two after the sun goes down. We have one last molter, who seems to be in the middle of molting now, but the others are fluffy and gorgeous. They seems healthy and happy and are exhibiting normal chicken behavior. We have three new chicks which were successfully integrated a few months ago- so with SEVEN chickens, I would like some eggs

 

[aart]

How old are all the birds?
Molting could be the reason.

Lighting has to be consistent, increased slowly and can take weeks to have an effect.
I prefer to have the light come on early morning so they can go to roost with the sunset rather than plunge them into darkness when the light goes off in the dark.

Could be the shortening days/lengthening nights:
Sometimes first year layers will lay all winter without supplemental lighting, sometimes they won't.
Older layers need 14-16 hours of light to lay regularly thru winter. Last winter I used a 40 watt incandescent light(this year I am using a CFL) that comes on early in the morning to provide 14-15 hours of light and they go to roost with the natural sundown. Last year I started the lighting increase a bit late(mid October), the light should be increased slowly, and the pullets didn't start laying until late December. Here's pretty good article on supplemental lighting. Some folks think that using lighting shortens the years a hen will lay, I don't agree with that theory but I also plan to cull my older hens for soup at about 3 years old.

 

[FarmerHeidi]

Four of the girls are a little over a year and three are 5 months (not laying yet and should soon!)