Hens aren't laying could it be cold?

[brewfarm]

I have 43 Rhode Island Red hens. They're 8 months old. I typically get between 38-40 eggs a day. But for the past 3 days I have gotten fewer and fewer eggs. Today I only got 25. I have a light- regular not heat lamp- that comes on in the morning so they get a total of 14 hours of light. I usually get about a dozen eggs before sunup, but they seem to have stopped laying early morning. They have water and feed in their coop overnight. Friday and Sunday night it snowed. Saturday they didn't want to go out in the snow, today they didn't care. The coop isn't insulated and it's been below freezing at night for a week. I haven't noticed any difference in their food or water intake or their general behavior. They kinda seem a little hungrier in the evenings. Could they be getting too cold at night? Could that be making them more hungry? Should I increase their feed? Could the water be too cold? Am I out of luck until it warms up? I feel like something is screwing with my little girls and I don't know what. It kinda p**ses me off.

 

[lazy gardener]

Are you giving them "free choice" feed, or limiting their feed? Do they free range at all, or are they in a coop/run? Is it possible they are laying eggs in the yard some where? Or is it possible that some critter is stealing eggs?

 

[brewfarm]

Are you giving them "free choice" feed, or limiting their feed? Do they free range at all, or are they in a coop/run? Is it possible they are laying eggs in the yard some where? Or is it possible that some critter is stealing eggs?

I give them feed everyday and they free range. Their feed hasn't dropped. I'm short over a dozen eggs today. I don't think it's a critter, but double checking for signs of one is a good idea. They don't lay out in the yard. There aren't any hiding spots in the yard. I don't think they suddenly decided to not use their nesting boxes. If they aren't I should see a pile in the coop.

 

[lazy gardener]

Don't be surprised if they have found a hiding place in the yard, unless it's still completely snow covered as mine is.

 

[brewfarm]

They found a hiding place in the coop. I found a pile. I'll have to fix it in the morning. They've probably been laying there for a couple of days.