My girls have stopped laying :(

[hali74]

I started getting worried that my girls kept sleeping outside so I shut them in their coop for the night (last night) well I'd say around 4pm when it was sunset.. And I went down around 8.30 am the next day to let them out however I was quite upset to find my girls hadn't layed any

Is it cos I shut them in and they're getting used to it? Or cos they didn't get much light yesterday? Or perhaps il get eggs later on today? ...

I shut them in cos it's cold outside.. And their coop is thoroughly cleaned once a week (I have only 2 hens and a small/medium sized plastic coop so hardly any chance of red mite/lice etc) I've also checked their feathers skin - and thankfully they're clean etc


Hope it all makes sense I'm new to the whole hen as pets business so I get worried easily..


Oh one last thing what month shall I expect no eggs - as in the winter month..

Thanks

 

[Chicks Galore3]

It could be the shortening days, or sometimes chickens choose not to lay that day. It shouldn't be anything to worry about. Chickens don't have a particular non-laying winter month. Sometimes its longer then a month. They stop laying because they are molting, and if you don't add artificial light, because they don't get enough light to lay.