My chickens aren't laying?

[ssramage]

OK, so I'm sure this has been discussed here but I'm scratching my head on this one.

I got chicks back in early Spring, so at this point they are 9-10 months old. Out of the 8 I originally got, I have 6 left. Back in the summer the chickens started laying and I went a period of about 3 weeks where I got 4-5 eggs per day. Things were looking good. And then all of a sudden the egg laying stopped and I haven't gotten a single egg since then.

Not sure if it matters, but my chickens pretty much always roost in the run, but even so I don't find any eggs laid in the run or buried.

Any ideas? Just seems strange to me that none of my hens would be laying at this point?

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

A few things can halt or slow a chickens egg laying production naturally. Molting they will stop (usually molt happens in fall to get their new feathers for winter) and winter time with shorter days they'll lay less. Make sure they still have plenty of oyster shell and when it gets really cold you can offer some scratch/corn (cracked or whole) to help them have extra calories if it gets really cold. I wouldn't worry about them not laying unless you notice them straining or acting lethargic/off. It's inconvenient but normal for them to reduce or halt production during molts and winter months. You can supplement light during winter if you want to give them the daylight during winter or you can just let them go on their natural cycle your choice they're your birds.

 

[6BeachChicks]

A few things can halt or slow a chickens egg laying production naturally. Molting they will stop (usually molt happens in fall to get their new feathers for winter) and winter time with shorter days they'll lay less. Make sure they still have plenty of oyster shell and when it gets really cold you can offer some scratch/corn (cracked or whole) to help them have extra calories if it gets really cold. I wouldn't worry about them not laying unless you notice them straining or acting lethargic/off. It's inconvenient but normal for them to reduce or halt production during molts and winter months. You can supplement light during winter if you want to give them the daylight during winter or you can just let them go on their natural cycle your choice they're your birds.

X2

 

[ssramage]

A few things can halt or slow a chickens egg laying production naturally. Molting they will stop (usually molt happens in fall to get their new feathers for winter) and winter time with shorter days they'll lay less. Make sure they still have plenty of oyster shell and when it gets really cold you can offer some scratch/corn (cracked or whole) to help them have extra calories if it gets really cold. I wouldn't worry about them not laying unless you notice them straining or acting lethargic/off. It's inconvenient but normal for them to reduce or halt production during molts and winter months. You can supplement light during winter if you want to give them the daylight during winter or you can just let them go on their natural cycle your choice they're your birds.

I'm not sure this is a molting issue. The birds have literally never started laying eggs, except for about a 3 week period of time mid-summer.

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

Are they laying there brooding? Molting lasts for awhile it can be 8 to 16ks for some birds. If their nutrition is good and they have enough calcium and it's not the loss of daylight or a molt then if they are overly stressed can cause it too. Molting they will start dropping feathers a hard molt you will see bald spots sickly but soft molts are slower and you may not notice until a tail is missing or is down to a single feather. I only knew one of my EE was molting because she had a single tail feather that just disappeared and I called her my little kiwi until I saw more feathers poking through on her bottom. It can be at times hard to tell if your girls are soft molting girls. You may notice they look fluffier because you see the down more. I would'nt stress on their paused production unless there is a sign of illness. Yeah it stinks when you're wanting those golden nuggets but if the girls arn't healthy than the eggs won't be as tasty. Is their poo normal? Crops feel empty in the morning and getting fuller through the day (normal appetite). I mixed in a higher protein chick starter/grower into their feeder (I do have 2 9wk old chicks) to up their feed since here in the north it's getting really cold for them. I want to set them up with a bit of fat to start winter before they go into just normal feed as some are still growing in my case.

 

[aart]

And then all of a sudden the egg laying stopped and I haven't gotten a single egg since then.

Do you free range?
What breed are they?

so at this point they are 9-10 months old.

Some pullets will not lay thru their first winter without supplemental lighting.
They may even have a partial molt around the neck.