no eggs...

[Off island chickens]

We have 3 Buff Orpington hens which have been with us for 5 or so years and an easter egger hen which we have had for about 3 years. We just (a sale from a local farmer) added 4 small barnyard hybrid hens and a roo. They have integrated well but we no longer get eggs from anyone...Any ideas?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Older hens will stop laying to molt this time of year.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes a change will stop things for a few days. If they are over a year old, they will drastically slow down with the dark days of winter if you do not add light.

I would not expect any eggs from the older girls until maybe February, and at their age, they might not even then with any regularity.

I have pullet, which just started to lay, and I am expecting eggs from them over the winter but maybe not every day, I don't add light, so do not expect the older girls to give me any.

 

[Perris]

integration can disrupt laying for longer than expected from their behaviour, esp since the newbies include a roo which your old girls have to adapt to; combined with their ages, and this time of year, probably explains the drop off in egg production.