Hens not laying:(

[Kacey I15]

we have hens that have started laying last year and suddenly this past week we went from 9 a day to 2 a day any suggestions? I do live in Michigan and this past week it got down to 50/60 but now it's 80 again and still slow eggs

 

[Wynette]

Hi there, I'm in Michigan, too (near Flint).

They won't lay every day, all year long...they need a break from laying to recuperate, and that normally comes with molting. They are more than likely molting now (many of mine are as well) and they will not lay during molt.

Also, if you free range them, they "could" potentially be laying in other places rather than their nest boxes.

 

[Kacey I15]

Hi there, I'm in Michigan, too (near Flint).

They won't lay every day, all year long...they need a break from laying to recuperate, and that normally comes with molting.  They are more than likely molting now (many of mine are as well) and they will not lay during molt.

Also, if you free range them, they "could" potentially be laying in other places rather than their nest boxes.

They are not free range but I seen just one of them were starting to molt when will this end? And when will they start laying again do you think?

 

[Kacey I15]

Hi there, I'm in Michigan, too (near Flint).

They won't lay every day, all year long...they need a break from laying to recuperate, and that normally comes with molting.  They are more than likely molting now (many of mine are as well) and they will not lay during molt.

Also, if you free range them, they "could" potentially be laying in other places rather than their nest boxes.

And also I only have one that is losing feathers so what about the others?

 

[aart]

They won't all molt at exactly the same time.
Could take weeks could take months.
Older birds often do not lay at all after the days shorten.... unless you use supplemental lighting.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Birds molt at different paces. Some you may never notice are molting til they look clean again, some may have feathers falling out all over the place and be bald in places (I have three roosters like this right now, it's hilarious

) but they could be having a non-obvious molt :-D
I've got 47 hens and am getting about five eggs a day due to molting

It'll be over soon though...

 

[Kacey I15]

Birds molt at different paces. Some you may never notice are molting til they look clean again, some may have feathers falling out all over the place and be bald in places (I have three roosters like this right now, it's hilarious  ) but they could be having a non-obvious molt :-D
I've got 47 hens and am getting about five eggs a day due to molting  It'll be over soon though...

Oh gosh okay I'm glad I'm not the only one going insane about not getting eggs!

this is just terrible I hope it's over soon!!

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

It's awful...were used to getting so many eggs it looks like we might have to buy store eggs!

ewwwww

 

[junebuggena]

You can help speed up the time it takes from the to molt by increasing their protein. The more protein they have access to, the faster they grow those new feathers. Some will start laying again as soon as they finish molting, others might not lay again until spring is on the way.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Oh yeah, forgot about the protein. I toss mine some cat food and meal worms for protein :-D dog food works too