Hens not laying

[SuburbanChickFarmer]

My chickens, 1 1/2 years old, starting molting in July. We are now 5 months from that and I still have no eggs! I have added calcium to their food, I give them yogurt too, they have a large enough coop, and have access to an outdoor run in addition to when I am home from work they can come out free range. They aren't stressed that I can see, they run to me for treats and still like me to pick them up and pet them. So, they seem contented and happy, yet no eggs. They are not eating their eggs, I can always tell when that has happened because my big white girls always get the most and get it all over their feathers. I have looked for evidence of rats and haven't seen any. I have placed the fake eggs back in their nest boxes and still nothing. I am tired of not getting any eggs. Any suggestions on what else I can try? I am really tired of store bought eggs!!!!!

 

[digitS']

What is their feed?

I don't believe that excess calcium in their diet will encourage laying. Their urinary systems are just taxed with getting rid of it since it isn't going into eggshells.

Protein at levels above what is required for body maintenance encourages laying. So does adequate light.

Steve

 

[SuburbanChickFarmer]

I feed them Purina Layena so I thought they were getting adequate protein. I know the shorter days do play into egg production and last winter my egg count was low, but I'm not getting any eggs at all from 8 hens. The molting is over and they are nice and fluffy and have been fluffy since September!

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Today we just got our first pink egg since late August from our molting 18 month old EE Blackie. I have been feeding homegrown sunflower seeds along with the purina layer feed. She has looked refreshed and happy for about a month, but I was beginning to wonder if she would wait til New Year's to lay again. About 2 weeks ago her comb started pinking up and last week I caught her checking out the nest boxes
I'm just thinking the molt is lasting 3 months.
Cleo's Friend hatched chicks the last week of July, weaned them about the end of Sept. Laid about 2 weeks worth of blue eggs and nothing since. She is looking good and didn't seem to drop many feathers at any point. I am hoping for egg resumption in her soon.
Spreckles hasn't laid since mid September and only dropped her feathers about 3 weeks ago. She did the classic overnight molt and looked bare. She too lays blue eggs and her tail is just beginning to grow back.
Goldie, on the other hand, is an EE laying green eggs and hasn't missed a beat all year. She lays about 4-5 per week. She's looking pretty rough right now so I wonder if she hasn't really molted yet. She also was the last of the crew to begin to lay last Christmas.

I am wondering if the differences in the molting are in conjunction with the variety of EE/egg color that they are. They were all TSC purchases 18 months ago.
Oh.. and 4 days ago DH set up a strand of white LED Christmas lights in their coop on a timer from 3-7 AM. Did it help? We don't know but may be worth a try!

 

[the simple life]

Mine just started to lay again this week after a summer long moult.
I did everything you did as well and nothing helped. Last week I ran low on the Purina Layena pellets so I fed them some high protein food that I had on hand for the meat birds I have.
I can't be sure but since they started laying this week it may have helped.
I also just switched them to a new layer feed that I get at the mill, its cheaper and organic so I decided to take them off the layena.

 

[Chicken Chicks]

Does having a Rooster with your hens make a difference in their egg laying ?