help chickens not laying

[macleods14]

we have a dozen rhode island ladys that up to about 4 weeks ago were laying well but since then the eggs have stopped coming or very few either 1 or two a day and very pale yolks and pale shell. whats happened ????????? we are feeding layers pellets (or could we have been given the wrong pellets from shop)

 

[debilorrah]

How old are they? Do you offer them oyster shell?

 

[macleods14]

no we dont give them oyster shell do you think we should, they r about 18 months they went off lay in winter which we thought was the nor but thay have gone off again

 

[debilorrah]

18 months old! There is your answer. I am betting that any day now it is gonna look like 15 teenagers had a pillow fight in the coop. 18 months is the average age for a first full molt! Expect feather galore any minute now. Yes, they stop laying when they molt.

 

[macleods14]

so when in the winter would that just have been weather conditions rather than a moult i have to say that i didnt really see alot of feathers when they went off before. how long will this last.