Start of Spring....End of laying??

[chickiebabe851]

I have 2 SLWs that are close to being a year old. They started laying in August 2013 and have been laying consistently until now. I have not seen an egg from either one of my girls in 1.5 weeks. I have noticed they are molting a bit as there are feathers wherever they dust outside and in the coop. 1) Are they supposed to be molting this time of year? 2) Would this be the only cause to the stop in egg production?

Please let me know!
Thank you

 

[Judy]

It's about the right age for a molt, and most birds do not lay while molting. Many seem to molt in spring or fall, but it can happen any time. The feather loss would indicate that your guess is correct, they are beginning a molt. Maybe this link will be halpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chickens-loosing-feathers-managing-your-flocks-molt