No eggs at all!

[getreal]

I have read all the posts I can but have not found an answer. I have a flock of 20. Mixed; olive egger, rainbow Dixie? Salmons silkies. About August some started to molt. They all quit laying. Every one of them! Two of my silkies are in another coop so it’s not the coop. Their food wasn’t changed, nothing was changed. Now it’s almost November and I’m getting maybe 1 or two eggs a day if I’m lucky. I have added cracked corn to their morning sunflowers and to their feed. I’ve started layer booster vitamins in their water. I took their nesting boxes out cleaned everything throughly and treated them them for parasites and worms. I don’t know what else I can do. Also they have all the calcium they want. I know they don’t have a hidden nest, they’re in a run. Anything I’m missing?

 

[6BeachChicks]

They stop laying when they are molting, and they won’t lay as much without daylight.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I think you're only getting about 10 to 10.5 hours of light. I would add a enough light for at least 12 hours. My chanteclers do great on 12. Others say chickens need up to 16. You could add a 1/2 hour of light each week until they start laying again.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I have read all the posts I can but have not found an answer. I have a flock of 20. Mixed; olive egger, rainbow Dixie? Salmons silkies. About August some started to molt. They all quit laying. Every one of them! Two of my silkies are in another coop so it’s not the coop. Their food wasn’t changed, nothing was changed. Now it’s almost November and I’m getting maybe 1 or two eggs a day if I’m lucky. I have added cracked corn to their morning sunflowers and to their feed. I’ve started layer booster vitamins in their water. I took their nesting boxes out cleaned everything throughly and treated them them for parasites and worms. I don’t know what else I can do. Also they have all the calcium they want. I know they don’t have a hidden nest, they’re in a run. Anything I’m missing?

Is this the time that your flock generally quits laying or is this new? maybe age?

 

[DobieLover]

I have read all the posts I can but have not found an answer. I have a flock of 20. Mixed; olive egger, rainbow Dixie? Salmons silkies. About August some started to molt. They all quit laying. Every one of them! Two of my silkies are in another coop so it’s not the coop. Their food wasn’t changed, nothing was changed. Now it’s almost November and I’m getting maybe 1 or two eggs a day if I’m lucky. I have added cracked corn to their morning sunflowers and to their feed. I’ve started layer booster vitamins in their water. I took their nesting boxes out cleaned everything throughly and treated them them for parasites and worms. I don’t know what else I can do. Also they have all the calcium they want. I know they don’t have a hidden nest, they’re in a run. Anything I’m missing?

Shorter days and molting = no eggs.
I would stop adding the cracked corn and sunflower seeds to the feed. If you want to throw it out as scratch, limit it to about 1 tablespoon per bird and no more per day. I would also increase the protein in their feed by offering a tin of sardines or a can of cheap tuna to the flock 2 or 3 times a week to help support feather growth.

 

[Acre4Me]

The sunlight started to decrease in late June, but now light is limited below what they need to lay. Even a blind chicken is impacted by light bc it is related to the pineal gland in their head that senses light.

they molted and didn’t lay as us typical. Then, once they *could* have begun to lay they didn’t bc light was not enough.

We provide supplemental light in a timer. We increase the time the light is on to keep them to approx 14 hours of light. We add light in the morning, not at night bc they naturally go to roost as the sun sets. Even with supplemental light we are not at spring/summer egg levels. We have heritage breeds, and they are not high production to begin with. And when ours molt, that is their break, snd even with supplemental light a molt = no eggs.

so, your options are:
1. Do nothing. No eggs for now but they will begin to lay again in late winter or early spring as light increases.

2. Add supplemental light to achieve approx 14 hours of light. It may take up to 3 weeks to have an effect bc their hormones have to flow then egg system start up, yolks firmed to turn into eggs -it’s a process that takes time.

3. Switch to production layers. They are very reliable at producing a lot of eggs for two years. Downside is they typically drop off production After that. Also they tend to have more reproductive issues, as compared to heritage breeds. Also, if eggs are a goal, you will need to replace the production hens around every 2 years.

my neighbor only had Leghorns (white one batch, and brown Leghorns the next -both batches white egg layers. The coop was basically a tall wood box, so in winter, very dark. He never added supplemental light - but would add a red heat lamp in the coldest months. But these birds reliably produced eggs for him all winter -their first winter and still produced eggs the second winter, starting up after molt, but not as heavy in production. These birds had no supplemental light at all but are bred to produce eggs.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've been getting between 4 - 8 eggs during molting season this year, lowest it's ever been.

I respect my birds natural laying cycles, so I don't use any supplemental lights for the winter. Usually I get enough eggs to get us through winter. Passed couple years, I'd get about 6-12 eggs a day during the winter months, unless someone else started up again, or I had a new layer begin in the frigid weather.

 

[K0k0shka]

I'm not getting any eggs at all right now because my layers are molting, and my pullets haven't started laying yet. That's normal. Adding artificial light is taxing on the chicken's body and will wear them out faster. There's a reason why they stop laying, and it's not because of the light. The light is just the cue. The actual reason is because they need a period to rest their system and to conserve energy in the cold months. It takes a LOT of energy to produce eggs. It also takes a lot of energy to stay warm in the winter. And there's only so much day to do it all in. So the hens need a break. You can decide to force their bodies to produce, ignoring their natural needs and signals, and they will produce, but you may be jeopardizing their lifespans, their productive years, or their health, in the process. It's up to you. Decide what your priorities are - maximizing egg production, or maximizing lifespan and health. If you keep chickens mainly for egg production and don't mind cycling them out when they wear out, adding artificial light isn't an issue. But if they are pets and you want them to live long, healthy lives, then give them a break.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm not getting any eggs at all right now because my layers are molting, and my pullets haven't started laying yet. That's normal. Adding artificial light is taxing on the chicken's body and will wear them out faster. There's a reason why they stop laying, and it's not because of the light. The light is just the cue. The actual reason is because they need a period to rest their system and to conserve energy in the cold months. It takes a LOT of energy to produce eggs. It also takes a lot of energy to stay warm in the winter. And there's only so much day to do it all in. So the hens need a break. You can decide to force their bodies to produce, ignoring their natural needs and signals, and they will produce, but you may be jeopardizing their lifespans, their productive years, or their health, in the process. It's up to you. Decide what your priorities are - maximizing egg production, or maximizing lifespan and health. If you keep chickens mainly for egg production and don't mind cycling them out when they wear out, adding artificial light isn't an issue. But if they are pets and you want them to live long, healthy lives, then give them a break.

My birds are both pets, & a food source. I even sell eggs for money to help with the feed costs.

Egg Production isn't much of a concern with ours'. Those who continue laying through the colder days are our egg suppliers for the winter.

I do agree that lights put more stress on the chicken's reproductive system lessening their lifespans. One reason I don't use lights for my birds exactly. I have a 6-7 year old bantam hen who is still laying.

 

[bruceha2000]

Anything I’m missing?

You've been on BYC since 2014, are these your first chickens??

Everyone else pretty much covered it. Once they are a year old they will moult in the fall and stop laying. Without supplemental light they likely won't start back up until late winter.

These birds had no supplemental light at all but are bred to produce eggs.

No supplemental light except for that red heat lamp