Is it just that time of the year?

[AccentOnHakes]

I have two EE's, and they are less than a year old. Neither are molting noticeably, but I'm sure they are a bit. However, I thought that first-year layers don't slow down too much. I had been getting usually 3 eggs every 2 days from them, but now I only get an egg a day(not always), and always from the same hen. I've checked for hidden nests and haven't found any.

Is it just the autumn weather causing this? She seems fine in all aspects, other than that she made a tiny little drip poop today.

 

[henney penny]

Shortening of the daylight hours will do that,they need 14 to 16 hurs of light a day to lay,I provide light on a timer to keepmine laying

 

[Pharm Girl]

Last year my EE didn't lay an egg from October thru January. Slowest molt ever. My SLW just went poof and dropped them all at once, but my poor EE took forever!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My hens have slowed down too and I have several molting. We got three eggs today and two yesterday. We normally have 9-14 or so. The slowdown occurred last week. I have noticed the days getting shorter and shorter. I have many first year layers that are indeed slowing down. Last year I had a lot of sex links this time of year and they kept us swimming in eggs. But alas, I sold them. My DH is wishing we hadn't.

If yours are less than one year old then they won't have a very bad molt from my experience. They do have mini-molts that occur.

If you put a light on for them to come on in the morning before the sun comes up your eggs MAY increase- you can do a search on byc- I think 14? hours of light is what is recommended. There were many threads on it in the past I know.

You don't want to run the light at night because when it turns off they might be caught off the roost and can't see to fly up. Make sure you have food and water in the coop if you do have a light come on or you might get feather picking.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Alrighty, thanks! I knew that molting can slow things down, but I was just concerned because they were first-year layers.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=423023&p=1
here is a nice thread