Sponsored Post Mystery solved: Why hens stop laying eggs

[Evelyn's Mom]

I agree there are a lot of reasons they will temporarily stop laying, mine took a 4 day vacation just when I returned from vacation. I think different, new people caring for them stressed them out just a little.
But when they finally stop for good it's a little different. They are just like humans... all of us women are born with all the eggs we will ever have in our lives... when our body stops releasing them, we go through menopause. We are still valuable members of society, we just can't have any more children.
When hens run out of eggs (ova) that's it. They are still valuable for eating weeds, insects, contributing poo to your compost pile and making us happy. My hens will grow old with me.. sounds corny but true!

 

[RitzvilleHen]

My question about hens not laying is this: we bought 4 hens that are 2 years old from a farmer that has two separate flocks of 40 each. They have been free ranging, going into a 16x16 coop at night. He is 6 miles out of town. We are IN town, with trains honking at every crossing every 15 to 30 minutes, and our run is only 4x12 and the coop 4x5. They each lay an egg the first day, which surprised me, as he caught each of them with a large fishnet. They are not birds that have been handled. They seem ok with us working around their run, and I give them a small handful of mealworms to get them used to me, but only one has been laying now for 4 days. (Same wrinkled end egg each time) We are feeding the same feed he did from our local feed store: Payback egg layer ration pellet) My husband is more concerned about this than I am, but should we be worried yet? They've been through quite a bit of trauma. I hope we didn't make a mistake buying free range birds and "cooping them up" in such a small area.

 

[sourland]

My question about hens not laying is this: we bought 4 hens that are 2 years old from a farmer that has two separate flocks of 40 each. They have been free ranging, going into a 16x16 coop at night. He is 6 miles out of town. We are IN town, with trains honking at every crossing every 15 to 30 minutes, and our run is only 4x12 and the coop 4x5. They each lay an egg the first day, which surprised me, as he caught each of them with a large fishnet. They are not birds that have been handled. They seem ok with us working around their run, and I give them a small handful of mealworms to get them used to me, but only one has been laying now for 4 days. (Same wrinkled end egg each time) We are feeding the same feed he did from our local feed store: Payback egg layer ration pellet) My husband is more concerned about this than I am, but should we be worried yet? They've been through quite a bit of trauma. I hope we didn't make a mistake buying free range birds and "cooping them up" in such a small area.

After the stress of being moved to a new home, hens will take a break in their laying cycle. What is happening is completely normal. Any eggs laid in the first couple of days after relocation were already 'in process'. Good luck with your new flock.

 

[RitzvilleHen]

After the stress of being moved to a new home, hens will take a break in their laying cycle. What is happening is completely normal. Any eggs laid in the first couple of days after relocation were already 'in process'. Good luck with your new flock.

Ahhhh! Thank you so much! I was thinking maybe they were closer to 3 years and they were traumatized into stopping altogether! I have a lot to learn, for sure!