my chickens egg laying slowed way down please help!!!!!

[farmer12]

i have 4 rhode island reds 2 red sex links
and they just started laying and i was getting 6 eggs a day now ill be lucky to get 2 really lucky to get three

 

[sourland]

Shortened daylength is most likely the cause. Check out the sticky at the top of this section.

 

[farmer12]

ok what sticky

 

[rikithemonk]

Please describe your set up and any changes you have made in the last three weeks. Anything added, changed or removed? Any stresses or changes in lighting?

Riki

 

[farmer12]

i have a coop with 4 nesting boxes about 12 inchs of the ground and them 4 more 24inches up i just added a roof

 

[sourland]

ok what sticky

"Why aren't my chickens laying" in the blue section at the top.

 

[FrogDoc]

The same thing has happened to us, and we're betting it's the shorter days. Nature tends to shut them down in the winter so they don't produce as many babies when food would normally be scarce. That's why some folks put lights in the coops.. to extend the number of light hours, which tends to 'fool' chickens into continuing to lay more eggs.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

It's just that time of year--less sunshine, and most birds moult in the fall. Some birds quit laying entirely in the winter.

You can try supplemental lighting on a timer. We do that, have the lights come on at 5am and go off at 8am, then come on again around 6pm and off again around 9pm. Some people feel that supplemental lighting is cruel, however. That's a choice that's completely yours to make.

 

[farmer12]

Ok thank u