No eggs

[Cincyfarmer]

I have 3 Rhode Island Reds and an Amerucana that are 11 months old. I bought them from a local hatchery when they were a day old and they started laying eggs about 20 weeks old. They were faithful layers until late December when we had a string of extreme cold days (highs in the single digits) when they stopped laying. I did some research and found that extreme cold and heat do effect egg production. As of 31 January I still haven't received any eggs from any of them. Is there still a possibility that they can start laying again, or are they done?

 

[SueT]

They may have just stopped for the winter. Are they getting proper nutrition?

 

[AlleysChicks]

They’ll start up again. They are just taking their break.

 

[m1chelle1]

They’ll start up again. They are just taking their break.

What she said. They are by no means done at that age, the winter just sometimes halts egg production in certain hens Don't worry, when it starts warming up you will see a few surprises in the nesting box. If you do want them to (potentially) start up again, you could try heating the coop with a heat lamp. This sometimes helps, but it depends on how temperamental your girls are, is all

 

[SueT]

No don't heat it that's a fire hazard. It's the length of daylight that counts, not the temp. Some people add lighting.

 

[Cincyfarmer]

They may have just stopped for the winter. Are they getting proper nutrition?

I believe so. I am buying egg laying feed at the local feed store. I mix a ratio of feed and cracked corn 2:1. I also throw kitchen scraps in the coop.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I have 3 Rhode Island Reds and an Amerucana that are 11 months old. I bought them from a local hatchery when they were a day old and they started laying eggs about 20 weeks old. They were faithful layers until late December when we had a string of extreme cold days (highs in the single digits) when they stopped laying. I did some research and found that extreme cold and heat do effect egg production. As of 31 January I still haven't received any eggs from any of them. Is there still a possibility that they can start laying again, or are they done?

It is common for chickens to stop laying eggs in the dead of winter. As the temperatures fall they convert egg laying energy to keeping warm. Same with the day light, hens need a sufficient amount of day light to lay properly. This is why a lot of keepers will put lights in the coop during the winter moths.

I have a flock of 9 BO girls. During the winter months they become a bunch of freeloaders. I don't supplement lighting I just let them take the winter off and allow their bodies to rest from egg laying. Usually by April I start getting covered up in eggs again, getting more eggs than I know what to do with.

Your girls are fine, they are just doing what chickens do when not forced to lay eggs. They take a breather a vacation from working for a bit. They will be back at it as the temps warm some and the days start getting longer again.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

What she said. They are by no means done at that age, the winter just sometimes halts egg production in certain hens Don't worry, when it starts warming up you will see a few surprises in the nesting box. If you do want them to (potentially) start up again, you could try heating the coop with a heat lamp. This sometimes helps, but it depends on how temperamental your girls are, is all

Actually heat lamps are very dangerous. chicken coops provide the perfect conditions for fires. Wood shavings combined with animals that can knock the heat lamp down is a very dangerous combination. Actually the chickens internal body temp is somewhere around 107 F. So really they are quite comfortable well into the sub Zero temps.

When the temps fall they convert the energy needed for laying into energy to keep warm. They will be fine, no need to heat. If you use anything to heat your coop use a radiant heat plate, never use a 500 Watt lamp bulb. I cannot tell you how many fires are started by well meaning chicken keepers putting heat lamps in the coop.

 

[SueT]

I believe so. I am buying egg laying feed at the local feed store. I mix a ratio of feed and cracked corn 2:1. I also throw kitchen scraps in the coop.

Quit giving cracked corn and scraps. They dilute the nutrients needed for egg production. Or, give these items at the end of day, after you see they've eaten a lot of feed. That's what I do. Otherwise mine will hold out for the "treats".

 

[Cincyfarmer]

Thank you everyone for the great information. My girls just turned a year and this is my first venture with chickens. I have done some research and perhaps the greatest resource I found was this website. I've read about the dangers of heating the coop, so I never even considered it this year despite it being a cold winter.

A Co-worker and I started our chicken projects at the same time and it got a bit discouraging when his birds kept laying throughout the winter while mine went on vacation. I can't wait until when the weather starts warming up and I can stop buying eggs again.