My Chickens won't lay!!!

[ChickGuy]

So I have 13 birds all brown egg layers.Its mid winter here in ohio and all of them quit laying eggs.Any suggestions?Ive heard mixing pepper in with their feed works.I can't put a light in the pen

 

[Alaskan]

I find that even a little restriction of water will greatly reduce egg laying. In cold weather water freezes terribly fast.

Also how cold is it where you are?

Chickens have to eat an amazing amount of feed when it is cold. It is best to give them as much feed as they can eat when it is cold out. If there is any feed restriction then all of their energy must go to staying alive in the freezing weather, and again no eggs.

Last point to consider is how old they are. Older hens don't lay as much.

The light shouldn't be that much a factor any more. Every day is longer than the last and that will help them all start to lay, even though the days are still short.

 

[SparrowHawkFarm]

Sometimes they take A break, I have 17 hens of laying breeds and they are not laying yet here in OR at the ages of 1½-2½years old! LOL

 

[Happy Chooks]

How old are they? Have you seen feathers lying around the coop and run?

 

[ChickGuy]

8 of them are 20 week old pullets and 4 are 1.5 year old hens it is 20-15 degrees here.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The 1 1/2 year olds could be molting. They can't lay eggs while molting because all of their energy goes into replacing feathers.