Flock Hasn't Laid in Over 2 Months

[LOOKATTHATSHINE]

If you can't find the higher protein feed, you can give them Game Bird feed which is usually around 20%. It won't hurt them.

Will definitely try. Thank you!

 

[LOOKATTHATSHINE]

Someone already suggested artificial light. If they are not free ranging, you need to feed them greens. Mow the lawn and give them the clippings. Pull the weeds and give it to them. Pull all your neighbor's weeds for them, too. Hook up with a landscape crew at some apartments in town and get their weekly grass clippings. It is amazing how much greens the poultry can eat.

Amp up the protein intake. Either try a bag of game bird feed, or add sunflower seeds or dried worms and bugs as a supplemental treat. No need to peel the sunflower seeds. I find that my hens will lay more eggs when I reward them with dried worms.

Thank you for all the suggestions! We give them a little bit of mealworms and sunflower seeds in the mornings. They go out in the tractor but not every day due to it getting dark before we get home from work most of the time, but I will for sure try to put some greens in there in the morning before we leave as well as amp up the protein. Thanks again!

 

[LOOKATTHATSHINE]

So it sounds like you know why they stopped with the introduction of new birds and a molt. Even though they may be done with their molt, we are now at some of the shortest days of the year. I would not expect anyone to resume laying (or in the case of younger birds start laying for the first time) until the days start getting longer again. Sometimes the lengthening daylight is enough to trigger laying even if the days are still quite short overall. Somehow they just know that longer warmer days are on the horizon.

We have only had chickens for a little over a year now and this is our first time to have had babies, I guess we didn’t realize it would disrupt the adults laying for this long and we got worried. Hopefully that’s all it is. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Goddessmother]

Poultry are very sensitive to social disruptions. They mourn the dead or sold. Anything that disrupts the normal routine could make them upset enough to stop laying for a while. They only lay when they feel comfortable and everything is in the usual order.

 

[smschiller08]

I have the same issue. 6 hens laying daily and then nothing 15 months ago at 13 mo old, starting June 2018. Maybe 1 egg now and then. Small coop, large run and free range almost daily.

Timeline:

Temps went up sharply late May and all but quit laying. Gave them frozen watermelon along with feed. Also scrambled eggs. Checked for mites, worms,etc.

A couple eggs shell-less or soft, then latch egg and RIR started yolk dropping. Had to put her down in September. Internal laying issues.

Molting started in November but not too hard. Isa Brown never came out of molt healthy and died in January 2019. No eggs through very cold winter.

Spring came and we started seeing 1-2 eggs weekly from 4 remaining hens who looked great but one Americauna started acting strange found dead in coop in April.

So we got 4 new chicks. Sprayed older hens and coop for mites.

Last 3 older hens look great but not laying. Integrated with 4 Pullets (2 Buff Orphs, 2 Wyandotte’s) who just started laying last week (mid August) with 2 of 4 laying daily. All get along and look healthy.

I Don’t know if the older hens ate something in the woods, got spooked or have hereditary reproduction issues. They are hatchery chickens as are the middle 4.

Have 2 more babies from local breeder that are 2mo but in separate coop. Will integrate next month for a total of 9 hens. Run gets fresh straw and alfalfa regularly. Coops smell fresh and well ventilated.

So I’m going to quit worrying and let them do their thing. Hoping the 3 older ones (Bl Australorp, Barred Rock, Americauna) will resume but don’t care. They act healthy and still come running when they see me, my husband or my grandkids. Hoping the next six will be as sweet. Especially the newest two lavender Orpingtons, LaVern and Shirley who could turn out to be Vern and Shirley.