My entire flock is not laying

[mooresls]

Does Anyone Have Any Advice or Suggestions:

I started with 6 two day old chicks in October of 2012 and then got 6 more in November of 2012. I had a couple little bantam hens still laying that were about 2 years old as well. I have a mix of breeds, standard and bantam.

Last summer we were getting 10-12 eggs a day. They started laying in April of 2013. I adopted 5 more bantam hens and one bantam rooster from a friend and they were all laying as well and all was great. I had tons of eggs all last summer and through the winter as well and the spring of 2014. In May things started slowing down and in June I added 7 more two old day chicks (but kept them separate for two months in a different coop. ). They were integrated in early August. I have not been getting eggs since late June. All summer we have gotten 1-3 eggs a day.

My hens are feed organic vegetable scraps from our food, organic layer crumble for the older girls, organic starter for my new girls, organic scratch, the dried worms, they get fresh water on demand and they are completely free range on an acre of land with vegetables to eat. I am beside myself because they are not laying. I have looked for eggs in the yard but it is a flat acre and I have even kept them in their huge run and coop for three days to see if maybe they were just laying somewhere in the yard. I get one-two eggs a day and sometimes none now. I had a few molting but they are done. I have a broody girl and a couple that were broody and no longer broody over the summer. They all look healthy and happy. There are no predators or stress in their lives that I can tell. Does anyone have anyideas?
It costs a small fortune to feed them and they are not producing. My husband says "oh you have the $87 egg today when I bring an egg in. He wants to make chicken soup soon.
Please advice. Thank you!!!!

 

[cackleberrycam]

Do you know if they have been eating their eggs?

 

[sumi]

There are some possible causes here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/why-are-my-hens-not-laying I hope you figure this out!

 

[OldGuy43]

Where are you? Here in Central Texas our mixed flock of Red Sex Link chickens and Khaki Campbell ducks laid so much during the last 2-3 years during a long drought that we ended up donating a lot of surplus eggs to the local food bank, than suddenly, about 2 months ago they all quit. Now the chickens have started laying again, but not the ducks. I'm attributing it to the change in the weather since the drought is over, it's a bit cooler and wetter, but I don't know.

 

[mooresls]

Do you know if they have been eating their eggs?

They have not been eating their eggs

 

[mooresls]

We are in Northern California and we are in a drought but they do have plenty of water but maybe they are reacting to the weather patterns. Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[keesmom]

The days are getting shorter. It inhibits egg production. You could try adding lighting to their coop so they have at least 14 hours of light. However your older hens will never produce as many eggs as they did when they were only a year old.

 

[OldGuy43]

The days are getting shorter. It inhibits egg production. You could try adding lighting to their coop so they have at least 14 hours of light. However your older hens will never produce as many eggs as they did when they were only a year old.

I understand about the age, but we had to replace most of the flock due to a predator less than a year ago.

 

[aart]

The days are getting shorter. It inhibits egg production. You could try adding lighting to their coop so they have at least 14 hours of light. However your older hens will never produce as many eggs as they did when they were only a year old.

Ditto^^^

Broodies and molters sometimes take some time to start laying again.

You don't say what breed your standard layers are...production breeds are often done at around 2yo.


Also, what is the protein level of your layer feed?...all their organic veggie treats maybe diluting the total protein they are getting.
I would also try confining them for at least a week to the coop and run.

 

[OldGuy43]

Red Sex Links and Khaki Campbell Ducks. Both were laying consistently and stopped overnight. No change in feed. The chickens are back to laying now, but not the ducks.

Sorry for the delay, email problems.