Hens suddenly quit laying eggs in Feb. ?

[bobbi-j]

I had a sudden decrease in eggs late one winter. In the spring when I cleaned out the coop I figured out why. My coop sat on the ground and I had a rat infestation under there. They had chewed holes in the floor and were eating eggs and feed all winter long, I'm guessing.

 

[Yemimah]

Lack of calcium can cause this. Easy to fix with oyster shells.Also even though the days are getting longer they may benefit from a small amount of light added in the a.m. before sunrise. Also eggs require birds to drink lots of water. If their water is too cold they may avoid it . You can get a water heater or serve them hot water NOT BOILING BIT. Old farmers may tell you of pouring some hot water on their mash 1 time a day. Just a little. Chickens are actually healthier on a dry diet so don't over do it.