My hens stopped laying, can anyone help?

[DickMidnight]

If you don't mind me asking, how many chickens do you have? I have 9 that take about a month to go through 50lb bag.

i’ve got 12. i refill when the feeder is about 1/4 full.

 

[Deezchix]

i’ve got 12. i refill when the feeder is about 1/4 full.

Got it, thank you. I was beginning to think I was feeding mine too much. Lol

 

[_nope_]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters -- if you're in an area where it's winter and there's no fresh green available for forage then you can expect their food intake to go up.

In most cases, chickens should have free access to their feed and water at every hour of daylight. If you aren't there to put out feed frequently and no one else will do so then you need to provide a large feeder that will hold enough feed to last the entire time you're gone.

No animal can be expected to be productive when it's in survival mode due to food scarcity.

They are free range and have heaps of grass and water. Thanks

 

[_nope_]

They should have access to feed and water every hour they are awake.
I fill the feeder every morning with just enough to last 24 hours,
takes some practice to know how much that is.

Can the goats access the chicken feed?
It can kill them, not to mention deprive the chickens from getting enough feed.

Welcome to BYC! @_nope_
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2931518

Goats can't get to chook food

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Goats can't get to chook food

My dog eats their food. I like to leave little piles around because I have some pullets that chase the others off. So when I let the dog out to do her business. She walks around and eats the leftovers. AND the chick poo. Slap my palm to forehead emoji

 

[icy_flames]

It is winter right now so with the change in daylight you will naturally get less eggs. I get two eggs a day now vs half a dozen a day over the summer. Their bodies need a break.

I actually wish my two layers would stop so they can rest and I don't have to risk frozen eggs

 

[farmmanjim]

Goats can't get to chook food

Chickens need 14 hours of daylight or they automatically slow down laying to give their body a rest such as in winter with short days.
Chickens will quit laying when they are molting also. Feathers are protein so they can't grow new feathers and lay eggs also.
Not to worry though. Chickens are born with every egg they'll ever lay so you can extend their laying with lights but they die sooner soon their body never gets a rest or you can let them do what's natural and continue after their winter rest. Chickens that are forced to lay year round, tend to quit laying in 2 years where chickens that follow nature can lay 4 or 5 years.

 

[catballou]

They are free range and have heaps of grass and water. Thanks

Let them enjoy a break. The quicker they lay their eggs, the sooner they run out.

 

[Greg Mann]

Warning this is long! Everyone's situation is different...I live in the Calif foothills. I'm about 45 minutes to town and an hour NE of Sacramento. I put a battery in my hen house to run a tiny led light. It goes on at about 4 am daily. I have four 7 month old hens that quit laying about 6 wks ago because of shortened daylight. They are now laying 2 to 3 eggs a day. I have 23 chicks I hatched out from local eggs. They are about 11 weeks old. I lost my flock of older hens to a coyote last summer. I'm in the process of building a predator proof 500 sq ft cage so they can be outside lots more soon. The 7 month hens are sacrificing future laying to keep us in eggs this winter...I feed them Sprouted lentils, Black SS, wheat, wild bird feed, and corn. These sprouted grains are in addition to the wet feed I mix for them. I love these sweet birds. If coyotes weren't an issue they would have 1.5 acres to roam every day as they had for the last 6 years. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Greg

 

[Pghelp]

It’s norm

I have 3 young Langshan pullets that started laying a month or 2 ago. And I also have 5 mixed breed hens not sure of their age but they were laying really well apart from one old hen who didn't lay at all, a rooster and 2 goats run with them, i feed them 2 kg of chook food a day, but lately I have been out alot so no one has been around to feed them as much.
I used to get 5-6 eggs a day, and they gradually went down until there was only about 3 and then to 1 now nothing, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
Please help.

It’s normal for chickens to slow production in the winter. My girls stopped laying during their last moult but they usually start back up in early January. Their bodies need a rest!