My EEs Stopped Laying!

[cluckcluckgirl]

I have three EEs that are about 8 months old now. They were laying eggs, one laid blue/green, one laid green, and the last one laid brown eggs. The two that laid blue and green eggs stopped laying about 1 1/2 weeks ago. They all seem to be healthy and have daily access to fresh food and water. Why have they stopped laying?

 

[gritsar]

Could be a combination of things. Sometimes pullets go through what I call a mini-molt around their ninth month. Molting hen/pullets typicall don't lay eggs while they are. Secondly, the decrease in daylight hours this time of year.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I haven't noticed any loss of feathers from them though. Do EEs get affected by daylight hours more than other chickens?

 

[tadpole98]

I haven't noticed any loss of feathers from them though. Do EEs get affected by daylight hours more than other chickens?

sometimes you dont notice them molting bc it is so slight. I dont think they are more affected but i do know all chickens are affected by little daylight. they need at least 14 hours of daylight every day. set a timer for your light. coming on early in the morning and turning off when it gets light.

 

[gritsar]

Tadpole is right; the molt can be so slight that you might not notice it.

I don't add light in the winter, never have. My girls get their much needed break. My oldest hens are just 5 months shy of 5 years old and still giving me 3 or 4 eggs a week; when they're not molting of course. They deserve their break.

 

[tadpole98]

Tadpole is right; the molt can be so slight that you might not notice it.

I don't add light in the winter, never have. My girls get their much needed break. My oldest hens are just 5 months shy of 5 years old and still giving me 3 or 4 eggs a week; when they're not molting of course. They deserve their break.

We only add the light this winter because they all got their break this summer. three months, 0 eggs from 50 hens

 

[gritsar]

We only add the light this winter because they all got their break this summer. three months, 0 eggs from 50 hens

*UGH* I'm getting small but yummy eggs from my younger girls - 7 month old brahmas. Two have been laying for nearly a month now and three more came online just this week. One of my old gals doesn't stop laying, even when she's molting; never has. Bella visits the nestbox every day, even when she doesn't have an egg to lay. That's just Bella.

I DO have a fridge crammed full of duck eggs, and a few goose eggs. Screwy weather has their schedule all messed up.

Were your girls free ranging at all during the summer? Naughty things chickens, they can hide eggs in the most bizarre places when allowed out.

 

[gritsar]

I haven't noticed any loss of feathers from them though. Do EEs get affected by daylight hours more than other chickens?

To answer your question, here's the way it usually works. No EEs are not known for being good winter layers, however...

Pullets hatched in the spring, coming into their first winter, usually lay rather well no matter what breed. Then their second winter rolls around and they take a winter hiatus.

I've had EEs and a few other breeds. Didn't care for other breeds and went back to having a main flock of only brahmas. I've had brahmas for a long time now and seramas for almost two years. Brahmas are winter layers, big time. Seramas are not supposed to be great winter layers, but lay surprisingly well the rest of the year. Two weeks ago my serama hens stopped laying and I was overjoyed. I was looking forward to a rest from having to break them of broodiness non-stop. Seramas = lay eggs for a week, go broody, hatch or be broken, lay eggs for a week, go broody.

Yesterday they started laying again.

 

[tadpole98]

Quote: our chickens free range all year around. we live in the country so its free free free range LOL I have lookd and looked never once coming up with a hidden nest

 

[gritsar]

I know a BYCer that looked all over too. Come late summer one year her husband removed a tarp covering a piece of farm equipment and guess what he found?