Is this normal... to begin laying again in the Winter?

[NYcue]

I have 4 Barred Rocks. Back in October my girls stopped laying eggs. I don't keep a light in their coop as I prefer to allow the girls to have the Winter off. Yesterday I was doing some additional work on the run to seal it up as the temperature was predicted to drop to 0 degrees but much colder with the windchill. When I went out I was surprised to see two of them in the coop house which isn't normal for them during the day. I checked the egg door and to my surprise... I found 5 eggs. Now... for about 4 weeks I kept checking for eggs before I was certain they stopped. Is it normal for them to stop and then restart even though they don't have the required light and it's cold!!! Very cold here!!!! Each of the eggs were cracked but not eaten. I believe that they cracked due to freezing then unfreezing.

Do I need to keep checking the egg bin all Winter? This is my second Winter with them and they did not do this last year.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yes, it's normal. Daylight hours are increasing now, and their bodies are kicking back into gear.

 

[Stewarts]

I am wintering my first flock of 14 hens and a Roo in an insulated coop with and tarped in hutch. My hens lay between 12 and14 eggs per day. Its normal until they molt, then they stop until after the molt. I'd get them on layer feed and corn if I were you and yes, check for eggs from now on.

 

[NYcue]

Thank you for the reply!!!

Wow... barely two months off ... These chickens needs to join a UNION and demand extra time off!!!!

Thanks again!