Stopped laying... Ugh

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My ladies were born May of 2020 as well. My egg production fell off too! I just in the last week have started seeing feathers so mine are beginning to go into their molt. I read up on Molting & I am confident that is what is happening with all my ladies. I have increased their protein with mealworms as a treat once a day. They are fed strictly layer feed & mealworms currently. I read to cut carbs & corn so they aren't getting any scratch. I do keep oyster shell in a feeder as well & they are still using it. I noticed yesterday 2 different colors of feathers so more are beginning their molt. I read an article about good layers are good molters & the ones who are slower molting are not the best layers. The bad molters it suggests culling & replacing them. (I will not be doing this since my ladies aren't just for egg production) That was suggested if you have them for egg production. Read up on molting to learn to tell what a good & bad molters look like if you have them for egg production only. Shortly you will start to see random feathers increase.
 
Mistidiane said:
My ladies were born May of 2020 as well. My egg production fell off too! I just in the last week have started seeing feathers so mine are beginning to go into their molt. I read up on Molting & I am confident that is what is happening with all my ladies. I have increased their protein with mealworms as a treat once a day. They are fed strictly layer feed & mealworms currently. I read to cut carbs & corn so they aren't getting any scratch. I do keep oyster shell in a feeder as well & they are still using it. I noticed yesterday 2 different colors of feathers so more are beginning their molt. I read an article about good layers are good molters & the ones who are slower molting are not the best layers. The bad molters it suggests culling & replacing them. (I will not be doing this since my ladies aren't just for egg production) That was suggested if you have them for egg production. Read up on molting to learn to tell what a good & bad molters look like if you have them for egg production only. Shortly you will start to see random feathers increase.
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Well... I think I'm going to have to disagree. Based on what I see on my cameras, at least 3 eggs were laid today.... Possibly a 4th in the compost🙄. Maybe even a 5th as it seems there was 90 minutes where my cameras glitched and the eggs disappeared. For 5 hens, I'd say we're back on track. Based on what has been said earlier, I'm fairly certain that it was just the heat. Maybe a touch of having lost 3/8 flock mates as well.
 
NatJ said:
If it wasn't your friend, then they have probably been laying just fine, and something was taking the eggs.
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I will say that I've been paying more attention to the cameras lately, but there were several days where I was working in the back yard all day. I'm sure I would have noticed a predator, or a thief in my yard. As far as I know skunks are fully nocturnal, so even if that skunk is a regular in my yard (no video proof so far) I'm sure it isn't taking eggs during the day.

Anyways.... Going down the rabbit hole! I'm sure it was my friend, but only time will tell.
 
Too hot it seems to me. Avoid fatty foods like black sunflower, corn, and maybe others.
I kept Orpington in Northern Maine. They do need the oils and fats in winter, but not in the warm months.
I keep light breeds now in SW New Mexico. I give my girls cold or frozen treats on hot days. Watermelon, muskmelon’s, squash, frozen fruit or veggies in a shallow water bowl.
I keep a large, shallow feed pan with a concrete paver in the middle of water. The water wicks up, they stand on it to cool their feet.
Best to you!
 
Murdy said:
My flock of 5 has slowed to a halt with laying. I've done a little reading and have some theories, and some questions.

First mention is that it's been quite hot here lately. I'm in Alberta, Canada, and our summers do get quite warm at times, but it's been up to 40degC lately. All of my birds are cold hardy, so not necessarily built for the heat. Is this the root cause?

Now... Issue (?) number 2. I used to feed a layer with a some seeds mixed in (whole oats, whole corn, black oil sunflower seeds, barley, scratch... Maybe another 1 or 2 that I'm missing?). I started to notice that the layer crumble was not getting eaten. I had seen a lady on the Web taking about how she just feeds a mix of seeds and she has success, so I switched. Any thoughts?

Also worth mentioning is that I used to put apples in there and they'd be gone in minutes. Now they pick at them a little, but hardly at all. I also put my lawn clippings on the run floor which they love.

I'll be doing a full flock inspection today for mites and such..... If I can catch them. Haha

Thanks all!
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It's a little unusual for a flock to stop laying in midsummer. If they are over 2 years old they may simply be getting older..... The breed you have may determine that. Putting this aside ceasing to lay eggs typically mean a chicken is under stress of some sort. Are they locked up at night? Make sure no animal or children are harassing them. If you are able switch them to a commercial layer feed this comes with all the necessary nutrients as fowl nutritional needs can be tricky. Mites could also cause a problem. Could be they are hiding the eggs and laying them somewhere else? Hope this helps.
 

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