One year old Light Brahmas have almost stopped laying.

[LightBrahma-Mama]

Really looking for some help!

I have 8 one year old light Brahma hens, and one rooster. My ladies have been laying wonderfully, 6-7 eggs through the winter and into February. Now they have suddenly halted their egg production, it’s been almost a month now. Most days it has been only 2 eggs, quite a drastic change. There are no signs of illness or molting, still the happy and energetic normal hens running around the yard. Nothing in their diet has changed or their housing, so I can’t understand why this would happen! Please let me know if anyone else has gone through this or if you have any suggestions that would help, thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

Are they molting? It could be their winter break, a few weeks late.

 

[aart]

running around the yard

How big is the yard?
I'm betting there's a hidden nest.

Do they look and feel like they are laying?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

One of my one-year old Light Brahmas is laying just fine, 4-5 eggs per week. The other only lays tiny little yolk-less eggs in the run. She does go up to the nest box and sits there for an hour. When she comes out she does the "egg-laying song" but when I go to check there is nothing there. It's like she's pretending to lay an egg. Otherwise, she has no health problems, eats and drinks just fine, runs around our land, foraging like the others. She does not squat in submission like the other 5 hens I have. Not sure what is going on with her.