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Help! My Wyandottes have stopped laying!

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by ssteiner, Sep 12, 2009.

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  1. Sep 12, 2009 #1
    ssteiner

    ssteiner Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Nov 24, 2008
    Orange, CA
    I have four chickens, all about 9-10 months old. One Partridge Rock and three Wyandottes. About 2+ weeks ago, we here in Southern California were hit with a brutal heat wave. Day after day of temps between 95-105 degrees. This lasted for about 10 days and then broke and gave us 2 or 3 days of more moderate temperatures, mid-80's or so.

    Anyway, in the week or two before this heat wave began, all three Wyandottes went through a period of broodiness, during which time, no eggs. Then, as this heat wave began, I noticed my girls just stopped laying. Chalking it up to the heat wave, I decided to just keep an eye on the situation. Well, now only the Partridge Rock is laying. All three Wyandottes have stopped. One of the Wyandottes appears to be molting, with feathers everywhere, everyday.

    What's going on?

    Thanks.

    Scott
     
  3. Sep 12, 2009 #2
    Sissy

    Sissy Chillin' With My Peeps

    2,764
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    Jul 18, 2007
    Sevier county, Tn.
    Welcome to BYC and to all my neighbors LoL
    left there 8 yrs ago.
    if your birds are in molt they wont lay,
    But I have a misting system 25ft. along one side of their run for a cooling down .I also use a little hot pepper flakes in a feed cup free choice. It helps them to lay. Got that info from a chix farmer.
     
  5. Sep 12, 2009 #3
    Katy

    Katy Flock Mistress

    16,319
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    Jun 29, 2007
    Kansas~50+ yrs of chickens
    This is the time of year with shortning daylight hours that a lot of hens slow down in their laying and/or start to molt. It's a natural thing for them to go thru.
     

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