My chickens stopped laying...

[honeybunny]

Are barred rocks supposed to stop laying this early? I also have Silver laced Wyandottes(and another breed, don't know what they are though, feed store said they were Buff orpingtons but they are not)... a few days ago they just stopped laying. No cannibalism, but I was getting slightly slower amounts like four/five out of 9 hens but then it just stopped one day. No more eggs.

 

[jtbrown]

They all slow down in he winter, is this their first or second year? I ask because last year was my first year and the majority of my birds now are 18 months and moulting. I only got 13 chickens eggs today, 1/3 of what I was getting late summer. I also have all weather layers. The older birds have really tapered off.

This is close to the fewest eggs we've gotten and most of these eggs are from Pullets. I don't want to provide light, so this may be what it will be like every winter. Still learning, but I'd still keep an eye out for eaters. We have an Easter egger that has super thin shells, it doesn't take much to make them break, and that scares me. So far, I can tell by looking at the wood chips while collecting.

Good luck.

 

[daoustaj]

My first year layers laid heavy for the summer so went into a mini molt, and now in back to getting an egg a day from each.

 

[honeybunny]

It's technically their first winter laying. Last winter they were too young and I suppose it got too cold too quick, I think they began laying late winter...

EDIT: A few of my hens are molting right now, I suppose the combination of weather and energy with molting might've made them stop? I still have some hens that aren't molting, but they aren't laying, either.

 

[daoustaj]

The shortened daylight mixes them up a hit. Their eyes sense so much light and they lay. They should adjust and pick up again. Id check for mites just in case.