No more eggs! Why won't they lay?

[americana-lover]

My eggs have stopped laying! I haven't received a singe egg from my girls in over a month, and I'm starting to freak out a little. About a month a go, my girls started to molt. I know they usually don't lay during molting season, but they have all finished molting. They are 5 Americana hens, and they were hatched April 2010, so they have only been laying about a year. i don't know what the problem is, i have been feeding them more treats, such as lettuce, oatmeal, and popcorn mixed in with their normal corn food.

Please help, i only have 3 more eggs left, and i need some by Thanksgiving.



Thank you!

 

[loveallanimals]

do you let them free range? If you do they might be laying just not in the nest box.

 

[donrae]

It's totally normal. Their bodies are designed to take the winter off after that molt. If you supplement light you might be able to force them into laying again, or just let them take the winter off and they'll start up again in the spring. This is the reason commercial egg operations get rid of birds at 18ish months, cause they quit laying for the winter or if you supplement light their production often drops anyway.