How long for molting hens to lay again?

[NYRIR]

My hens seem to have been molting for a while now...the egg laying has dropped quite a bit. How long before they are laying better again? They still have raggy looking feathers and are growing new in...this is their first molt. They are roughly 1 1/2 years old. I'm just wondering if they will lay better soon, or if they will lay poorly all winter now.
Thanks for any input.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Mine all laid today! I got 5 eggs! My girls are not done moulting, one looks like walking death. I was very surprised to hear the egg songs.........

 

[hennyannie]

I have some one year old RSL that molted fairly quick this year, about 2 weeks and one started laying again. The other 2 seem to be doing it gradually and have layed some eggs in the last couple of weeks. I gave them all some manna pro and I believe it did help.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
I have been giving extra BOSS and scramble any eggs that are cracked to feed to the birds.They also get a TON of fresh fruits and veggies that I bring home from work. The problem is, I have so many that I can't tell who is laying and who isn't! I have several young pullets laying daily but the eggs are still small. I have a few broody....so there goes a few eggs...
For example, today I got 23 eggs from roughly 40 laying hens, and I know there are 3-4 laying eggs in the woods each morning

So the amount of eggs is like a little more than 1/2 of the amount of hens.They all act fine, they just look really raggy in the feathers. Tomorrow I'm going to count how many LARGE eggs I get versus the smaller pullet eggs to see just how many of my older girls are laying right now.
I just want to be sure they are just not laying from molting and I don't have another problem on my hands. Does about 1/2 laying daily seem reasonable to you?

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

I'm fine with our hens taking a break. We don't starve. They lay a lot less all winter, too, but I have to wonder if they'll be laying eggs for more years because of it?

 

[CluckCluck18]

My EE, Wilma was molting and didn't lay for a month....she just started up the other day. She's looking pretty raggedy so I was kind of surprised. Good luck..hope your girls get going again.

 

[NYRIR]

6chickens in St. Charles :

I'm fine with our hens taking a break. We don't starve. They lay a lot less all winter, too, but I have to wonder if they'll be laying eggs for more years because of it?

Me too....I'm just wondering since this is my first experience with molting if this is "normal" or if there could be another issue.​

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
Wow....a month? Like I said in one of my previous posts, I have a lot of hens so I do not know which are still laying and which aren't. I suppose I could hang out in the hen house tomorrow morning

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
Me too....I'm just wondering since this is my first experience with molting if this is "normal" or if there could be another issue.

Oh, yeah, it could be sickness or parasites. Give them a good look!

Once, we had a broody Silkie, and DS noticed mites all over himself when he reached in her broody basket to pet her. Poor little thing was nearly skeletal in there. Once we had the mite problem fixed we do regular check ups and poop tests with our vet. I think we have the world's most ridiculously expensive eggs. But safety is important to me with my children.

also, checking out the chickens is nice quality time with them, they like being eye to eye with us once in a while. Its cute how they hold up their wingies for checking. Beware when you check their vent area, not to keep the bird upside down, they can't circulate their brain upside down and they'll pass out. It probably causes a wicked headache for them.