Hens not laying

[Vratnyjulez]

I have 4 approximately 3 years old and have not laid in over 2 months. We live in Florida where it doesn’t get cold. Do you think they are done laying (retired)? Here are the photos of them.

 

[DobieLover]

I have 4 approximately 3 years old and have not laid in over 2 months. We live in Florida where it doesn’t get cold. Do you think they are done laying (retired)? Here are the photos of them. View attachment 2876820

As the days get shorter they stop laying. The temperature has little to do with laying.
Are any of them molting or have they completed their molts?

 

[SueT]

It looks like they may be free range? If so, perhaps they have a hidden nest(s). It often isn’t easy to find these nests.
Usually when the days get shorter, egg laying slows and then stops. But two months ago, there should have been enuf daylight. Mine slowed down mid September, and I still get an egg or 2 a day (from 10 hens.)

 

[Vratnyjulez]

As the days get shorter they stop laying. The temperature has little to do with laying.
Are any of them molting or have they completed their molts?

Yes 2 of them have been done molting for about 3 weeks or so. That’s what I thought too, but they have been done. We just had an inground pool put in, could that have stressed them? I’m just wondering if my older girls are retiring?

 

[Vratnyjulez]

It looks like they may be free range? If so, perhaps they have a hidden nest(s). It often isn’t easy to find these nests.
Usually when the days get shorter, egg laying slows and then stops. But two months ago, there should have been enuf daylight. Mine slowed down mid September, and I still get an egg or 2 a day (from 10 hens.)

They are not free range but 1/4 of my yard is fenced off for them, I wanted them to be where there are trees for cover or shade in the hot months.

 

[SueT]

They are not retiring at 3 yrs old. I have a 4 & a 5 yr old still laying tho they slowed down for the winter and will likely stop soon. And one is a Speckled Sussex like yours. If they have 1/4 of your yard, I would scour thru every nook and cranny (and look up on top of things, behind things, under things. I have one that jumped up on a shelf in an open shed and laid eggs on the bare wood behind bottles of motor oil. )

But now, it’s end of October so the days are short enough to affect the laying, for sure.
Keep us updated, even if it takes till the early spring......

 

[Vratnyjulez]

They are not retiring at 3 yrs old. I have a 4 & a 5 yr old still laying tho they slowed down for the winter and will likely stop soon. And one is a Speckled Sussex like yours. If they have 1/4 of your yard, I would scour thru every nook and cranny (and look up on top of things, behind things, under things. I have one that jumped up on a shelf in an open shed and laid eggs on the bare wood behind bottles of motor oil. )

But now, it’s end of October so the days are short enough to affect the laying, for sure.
Keep us updated, even if it takes till the early spring......

I will go check their run in morning, I did just add to the flock but they stopped laying before that. I just hope to get some more eggs before they retire, one of them her name is princess lays huge eggs, I sure do miss those…

 

[rosemarythyme]

Shortening day lengths + molt often means they won't lay again until after winter solstice when days start lengthening again. Plus with older birds (and they're on the cusp of "older") their down time can increase, i.e. many of my older birds all molt earlier and resume laying later than the younger ones.

 

[Vickischics]

Mine have stopped laying as I also live in Florida. I sure do miss the eggs as I had a flock of 5 but, now a flock of 11.
So, when Spring hits, my 4 mos olds should be ready to go!
Had two Mamas go broody and I took advantage. Had 3 go missing from an Eagle! So, now they no longer Free range. So, back in the pen they went.

 

[Vratnyjulez]

Mine have stopped laying as I also live in Florida. I sure do miss the eggs as I had a flock of 5 but, now a flock of 11.
So, when Spring hits, my 4 mos olds should be ready to go!
Had two Mamas go broody and I took advantage. Had 3 go missing from an Eagle! So, now they no longer Free range. So, back in the pen they went.

I have lost one to a hawk, it was my little bantam Easter egger…. Just feathers left. She was last in pecking order, so sometimes she roosted on top on the coop cause she could fly to the top, so she was not always in the run where the hawk couldn’t get. So I have 10 hens and only one laying currently… my older 4 just don’t seem interested in laying