No egglaying. What else can I do?

[Pelicano]

Five lovely Rhode Island Reds living the good life in Sonoma County, California, and they've given up on laying eggs. We don't think it's time to send them to the soup pot as it just doesn't make sense that they would be barren. Here's the basic facts: they are two years old; we got them a year ago and they produced eggs just fine through late fall when production fell off; they get a high protein, egg laying feed (16%), though on the recommendation of a gentleman at the feed store, they've been getting 22% this past couple of weeks; the coop and adjoining run are ample in size; they also have a day yard that is about 600 sq. ft. where we keep a deep litter of straw, weeds, oak leaves (from a prodigious coastal Live Oak); and, they show no signs of ill health. All of our friends who have backyard chickens have reported normal egg laying for many weeks, so we don't think weather is the issue. Do you have any ideas on how to jump start the egg laying? Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

All of them have stopped laying?
Have you looked in the bushes, weeds, etc. to see if they are laying somewhere in the yard instead of the nesting boxes? (hidden nest)

Production fell off in the fall, but did it stop? Did you notice if they molted in the fall?
Could they be molting now - do you see any new feathers coming in?

 

[Pelicano]

Thank you for your reply. I am sure that they are not laying in the yard. I work in there regularly and have looked everywhere. As for molting, I don't think they are molting, but I've never had chickens through a molting period. I don't see anything unusual in their feathers, but maybe I'm not looking close enough. How long can molting last?