My whole flock has suddenly stopped laying

[Anigozanthos]

I have a flock of five, including a Welsummer (2 1/2 years old), Rhode Island Red (2 1/2 years old), a Black Sex Link (2 years) and two Isa Browns (2 years). We haven't had a single egg from them in the last week.

We are still having summer weather here, temperatures around 30 - 35 degrees Celsius.

We had a slowdown in egg production earlier in the year, they seemed to be moulting and we were only getting around one egg a day. Then they picked back up to normal production for a few weeks, then abruptly stopped laying altogether. There is no evidence of feather loss now.

There has been no changes to their diet, we feed them with Barastoc Darling Downs Layer, vegetable scraps from the kitchen and occasionally yoghurt. They also have access to shell grit.

We haven't seen any pests around but set rat traps outside just in case. We get the occasional snake on our block but I've been checking the nesting box frequently at different times through the day and there is never any sign of eggs or any other intruders.

Can anyone provide any other ideas about why they've suddenly stopped laying altogether?

 

[sourland]

You are into your winter along with shortened day length, right? Day length is the single greatest factor causing a cessation in egg laying. Your birds are also reaching that point where production normally drops off.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You are into your winter along with shortened day length, right? Day length is the single greatest factor causing a cessation in egg laying. Your birds are also reaching that point where production normally drops off.

Meaning that the annual molt is now beginning Down Under. All that sourland and I listed is a Mammy Yokum Dog Patch style triple whammy for egg production.

 

[Anigozanthos]

You are into your winter along with shortened day length, right?  Day length is the single greatest factor causing a cessation in egg laying.  Your birds are also reaching that point where production normally drops off.

We live in Central Queensland, so we won't see any sort of winter conditions for around three months and then it will be very mild. This time of year we get around 12 hours of daylight and today's temp is 34 degrees Celsius (around 93 degrees Fahrenheit). Last nights minimum was 22 degrees (76 Fahrenheit).

I thought maybe it was an age related thing but I found it odd that it was a sudden stop. Is there anything else I should be offering them at this time?

 

[scottnc]

Maybe it's sunspots. Just kidding, I am having the same problem, Overnight four hens went from one to three eggs a day to none. They just stopped laying. They are Dominique and one Dominique X Rhode Island Red. The cross will be a year old in May and had been laying for only two months. She had shown signs of being broody but that stopped along with the laying. The adults are a year and a half to two years old and molted several months back. We did change feed and are in the process of changing back.

We went with Dominiques because they were reputed to lay longer but less frequently fitting our needs.

I be will watching to see what kind of advice you get.

 

[aart]

Quote: Could be the heat...mine can slow down when it's hot out......the use all the fluids they drink to regulate body temp instead for filling eggs.

It's not about winter cold but lack of sunlight...so your days are shortening.