No eggs?

[tpeila]

We have 6 hens, we lost 2 to a predator about 7-8 weeks ago. Since we lost those two the remaining 6 have molted and not laid a single egg. We got them in July 2011, so they are over 2 years old. Is it normal for them to completely stop laying in the winter? And would a light help?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Hens need about 14 hours of light per day to lay. Without supplemental light, they will stop laying until spring.

Some people add a few hours of extra light per day in order to get eggs in the winter. Some people let them rest through the winter. I let mine rest.