Should I be concerned?

[Shane17]

I realize hens slow production during the winter months. With that said should I be concerned with 0 eggs over the last 3 weeks. My hens were molting back in the fall and production slowed then naturally. I am finding tons of feathers again. I completely cleaned out there coop recently and discovered a family of mice living in there. could this affect the hens? the other variable is we are currently at about 11 hours of sunlight a day here now. I know hens require 14 hours a day for production. I figured I would get a couple here and there anyhow though. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[loanwizard]

How many hens do you have? A complete cleaning means so many things to so many people. It could have stressed the birds out. I have 80 birds and about 60 or so are this years birds and I am only getting about 2 dozen or so a day, but it will soon pop or we will have a chicken bake....
Check for predation with a deer cam or something, but I wouldn't worry if you have but a few birds.

Good Luck,
Shawn

 

[Shane17]

yeah i only got 8. there this years chicks and started laying in the summer.

 

[loanwizard]

Still odd that 8 pullets that started laying in the summer have not laid an egg in over 21 days. I would look for a possum or a rat. A coon would have killed them. Do you have a dog? Dogs sometimes steal eggs too.

 

[Shane17]

no. they are in a pen all day unless i turn them out. so nothing is getting to the eggs. All i found was a few field mice living in the coop when I cleaned it out. All i can think of is the daylight issue.