No eggs! Any ideas?

[ChikeeMomma]

My chickens have been through the molt this year. I thought they were all done and maybe should have picked up on the laying by now. It's been a couple of months from the start of the molt to now. The weather turned from very warm (low 80s) fall weather to frigid fall temps (low 40s) with rain in the blink of an eye. I'm only getting eggs from 2011 spring chickens. My 2010 girls went through their first hard molt this year. I have 4 2011 birds. And 10 birds from 2010 & 2009. I have some that are even older, but I am not counting them. It seems that I should be getting more than an egg or two a day. Do you think it's a combo between the molt and the weather change? I do keep a timed light on them so that they receive 14 hours of light. They are on the same laying mash that they've been on for years.

 

[anderson8505]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=423023

Maybe this will help? I'm in Florida, so when we got a few cooler days they slowed down until they adjusted to change in temps. Now laying is back to normal.

 

[Katydid2011]

Even my 2011 Spring pullets aren't laying very well at present and they're under warm light (when I say "warm" I'm referring to color not temperature). It's playing havoc with my egg business but like I tell my customers, I can't manufacture eggs.

To answer your question, yes, I think it's a combination of the molt and the weather change.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have recently put a light on mine.....comes on at 4am and off at 9am. Within about 3-4 weeks mine were laying up a storm. I am only doing this as I plan to hatch a lot this Fall. Once I have completed my breeding, I will turn the lights back off.

I believe that they need a "natural" break.

BUT, light is the key for regular laying

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Thanks guys! My little egg business is suffering, too! I keep buying eggs from my uncle to keep just a couple of my egg customers happy. The other few haven't had eggs consistently for awhile! My uncle isn't having any issues and is a few miles away, but another local person is going through the same thing. It's crazy! It was getting so bad that I was going to have to buy myself some! Thankfully, I haven't had to yet.