My Hens Stopped Laying!!! Any Ideas why???

[sweetsugar2242]

My hens have stopped laying!! Just if anybody might have any ideas why?

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Is it really hot where you are located? If so that might be why.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

Anything change drastically in their feed, environment, stress factors, molt, any outward sign of disease? All of these conditions could cause a temporary egg laying stoppage. When was your last egg? How many hens?

 

[sweetsugar2242]

Thanks! I have 4 that have been laying for a bout a year now. I have 5 that should start laying in a month or so! The only thing is it has been really hot and several bad storms lately. I haven't changed their food or anything.

 

[Kittyf]

The heat here has caused 4 of my 6 to stop laying. I mist them, provide them with a pan of ice but they are miserable. Our heat should break a bit this week, but I am trying to keep them alive and comfortable and not worrying too much about the eggs.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

I pointed two small, but powerful fans at the run/coop during our extreme heat spell with a frozen bottle of water in front of the fans. It cooled the run and coop. I also used fine mist water from the hose and a bit of ice cold watermelon. For their two regular wate containers r I changed it several times per day and floated a block of ice in the open dish and a frozen bottle of water in the double wall fount. I use old water bottles and throw-away type of containers with lids that I freeze several to have on hand to use through-out each day.

Since I have a movable coop and run I moved everything under full shade of large trees but if you don't have any natural shade a tarp of shade cloth (or anything that will block the sun) will work wonders. The very hottest day I also sprayed the surrounding area, the tree tops, and the top of the coop and run with cold hose water as the evaporation of water cools down the surrounding area.

The birds really liked the fan and ice cold water the best - sticking their rumps into the fan breeze which blew their feathers the wrong way but lots of air to the body which released heat. It would end their open mouth breathing each time.

I gave them their regular layer feed during this time (and the watermelon) but nothing to spend energy (and generate extra heat) scratching around hunting for stuff. They continued to lay but the eggs were not as large. My birds are not heavy type birds nor are they too fat, plus being hybrids they are supposedly able to take heat and cold better than some of the true breeds, in particular heavies.

I noticed they also liked to stand in the cold water. Anything up to 95 they are OK with just shade and fan and didn't need ice water, but when it hits anything over that, and it went to 105 and up a few days, it did take the extra measures to cool them. Sometimes I also added Quik Chic to the water to replace electrolytes.

 

[sweetsugar2242]

Thank u for the tips!! I think they are just hot and thats why they are not laying!

 

[KaynigKritters]

I am had the same problems with the heat but the weather has cooled somewhat. Plus I want to add that we added 5 more younger chickens 2 months ago and have two 1.5 year old broody chickens that seam to be hogging the hen house. We have a total of 11 chickens now and are only getting 2 eggs a day. We have been keeping them all in the pen for most of the day thinking they might be laying somewhere else. We have a fan to circulate air, recently added electrolytes to their water and moved the broody chickens out this morning... Still only 2 eggs. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Marlene :/

 

[Cindy in PA]

If they have been laying for a year they could be going into molt. I would assume they are 17-18 months old. Molting usually occurs around a year or a little more or less, after they start laying.