Please Help! Flock Barely Laying

[urlocalcrazychickenlady]

Hello!

I have 23 chicken hens that are laying, and I’ve been getting between 5-10 eggs a day. I know the weather has changed and some of my older hens (18 months old) are molting, but egg production has dramatically decreased. I also have 4 laying duck hens who haven’t laid a single egg for almost 2 months. My Guinea hens recently stopped laying a couple weeks ago, but I know that they are seasonal layers.

The weather has been a bit colder lately, daily highs from 55-65 degrees and lows in the 40s and upper 30s (all temperatures in Fahrenheit) and it has been cloudier and a bit rainy.

My flock has been eating non gmo all flock feed from my local co-op since spring earlier this year.

I also have pullets who are of laying age, but they aren’t laying yet. Could the milder weather be putting off their laying?

What could be the issue? Do y’all have any ideas of what I could do to keep egg production going up?

 

[Yardmom]

When the day light shortens to less than 12 hours a day most chickens over a year take a break from laying. Molt is sometimes at the beginning of the break. Ducks and guineas take breaks too. Getting 5-10 eggs from 23 hens is pretty good for this time a year. Your pullets could start laying anytime. The shorter days may delay them some, but they will likely start laying before the days get longer.

 

[urlocalcrazychickenlady]

Thanks so much!