No eggs now

[ShawnW]

Hello all,
I got a quick question,
last spring i got 9 chicks, 8 hens and 1 rooster, they started laying around september and all winter i have been getting between 5 and 9 eggs a day.
They always have fresh water and Feed, custom from a local feed mill "16% eggmaker". Along with light 24 hours a day, in a nice little shed with straw floor.
Got a new batch off feed here a few weeks ago. But now all of a sudden I am only getting 1 or 2 eggs a day. Is this the molt that they go though, or just a phase. I am in east central illinois if that makes a difference, the weather has been fluxuating a lot.
thanks
Shawn

 

[wendy]

chickens need 14 hours of daylight to lay eggs. what type of lighting are you using? sounds like the chickens are just kind of messed up with the 24 hour lighting. we used extra lighting during the winter, just dropped that 3 weeks ago since days are getting longer. if change what you are doing and let them roost naturally with the sunset coming, i think your chickens will return to normal. it is probably going to take some time though.

 

[allisojo]

Could be molting, but like the previous post, my guess is that it's got something to do with 24-hours of light, if the light is white. I've read on this forum that constant light messes with their systems. Even if it is molting, I'd still cut their light down to 14 hours a day max or let them go all natural and see what happens. I've still got my ladies on two extra hours of light at night, but I'll probably back that off pretty soon. Alternatively, it could be something totally unrelated to light or molting. Other, more qualified folks than me might have thoughts as to what else it could be. Let us know what happens. Thanks!

 

[ShawnW]

Hello,
Thanks for the info.
I didnt really think it could be the light, cause dont the big commercial egg farms have 24 hour light?
But any way yeah its a white heat lamp.
and also they are Buff Orpingtons.
On top of there backs they have been losing feather for almost 3 monthes now, some have came back but not all of them..
Anyway im off to go get my egg and check on them. I'lll put the timer back on the light for 14 hours, and also i'm going to crack a window for some extra fresh air.
Thanks
Shawn

 

[mtnhomechick]

Chickens get very stressed with too much light. 14 hours a day is good. Some of mine are molting now and not laying.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

If I were a Buff Orpington chicken and was subjected to light 24 hours per day I would be so totally screwed up I probably would quit laying eggs altogether!

 

[wendy]

Quote:
Sounds like moulting and I don't know what big commerial farmers use for there egg layers as far as light. But they probably don't care either. You are concerned about your birds

So the decrease in lighting will help moulting or not

Let us know how it goes with the decreased ligting