Stop Laying First Winter?

[JAbraham]

I have 3 hens hatched on March 3. Black Austrolorp, Americana and an Olive Egger. They all were laying great, and we've had a really mild start to winter in Montana. The Olive Egger went through a little molt, then has not layed since Nov 1. She's all feathered in, and looks great, other that a pale comb. Her eyes are bright and clear, no signs of bugs, feet healthy, no feeling of egg bound, and runs around like the life of the party. Poo looks normal and eating and drinking fine too. Is this in the range of normal to stop laying for 2 months and counting?

 

[nuthatched]

Yep, they don't always lay through, it's normal

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some pullets lay through their first fall and winter, some stop laying and may or may not molt at that time. Some are over the molt in about a month, the molt may last 4 months or so with some chickens. Some hens start laying soon after their molt is over, some may take a while to start again. Some pullets or hens can start laying any time of the year, even in the shortest days of winter. Some wait until the days get longer in spring to start laying.

Any of these and any combination of these are "normal". It's called dealing with living animals. I understand from some of the posts on here that they are supposed to be programmable bots and all "normally" do the exact same thing. But you do not get guarantees with living animals, about anything can happen.

 

[halfdozenflock]

Hi all. Being in full recognition of what the previous poster said about chickens being unpredictable living beings and not machines with guarantees, I am wondering if anyone knows to what extent chickens biological processes are influenced by proximity or other environmental factors? For example, estrous synchrony has been reported in some mammals. Not sure about birds.

I have six 11 month old hens, each a different variety, who have not laid a single egg since November. They all molted just their head feathers around then. All are seemingly otherwise healthy. They have free feeding of layer pellets mixed with a variety of seeds, plus they have free range access to my yard about 10 hours each day.

Could there be an environmental factor that has stopped all six from laying for such a long period of time? Do chickens experience estrous synchrony?

I'm not worried about them not laying for so long, as I know it can be normal for some birds, but everyone else I know always seems to have at least one or two hens laying at a given point throughout the winter. How normal is it for all six in a flock to not lay for so long? Or might there be a health or environmental issue that I'm not noticing? Thanks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

but everyone else I know always seems to have at least one or two hens laying at a given point throughout the winter.

Not I. Completely normal to be without freshly laid eggs for winter.

Or might there be a health or environmental issue that I'm not noticing? Thanks.

You mention feeding layer pellets mixed with seeds - what kind of seeds? Is it part of the feed or is it scratch you're mixing in? If your flock is free ranging they already get variety in their diet so I wouldn't offset the nutritional balance of the feed by adding extra snacks.

 

[FrostRanger]

Hi all. Being in full recognition of what the previous poster said about chickens being unpredictable living beings and not machines with guarantees, I am wondering if anyone knows to what extent chickens biological processes are influenced by proximity or other environmental factors? For example, estrous synchrony has been reported in some mammals. Not sure about birds.

I have six 11 month old hens, each a different variety, who have not laid a single egg since November. They all molted just their head feathers around then. All are seemingly otherwise healthy. They have free feeding of layer pellets mixed with a variety of seeds, plus they have free range access to my yard about 10 hours each day.

Could there be an environmental factor that has stopped all six from laying for such a long period of time? Do chickens experience estrous synchrony?

I'm not worried about them not laying for so long, as I know it can be normal for some birds, but everyone else I know always seems to have at least one or two hens laying at a given point throughout the winter. How normal is it for all six in a flock to not lay for so long? Or might there be a health or environmental issue that I'm not noticing? Thanks.

Normal, most of mine stopped in October and most of them still haven't started again. Don't worry, they'll start laying more as we approach spring and the days get longer (as it's shorter days that make them stop, not necessarily the temps)