Stopped laying

[Nessa's girls]

I have a problem with my girls. They stopped laying. I have one girl who went broody and the other girls went from an egg a day to no eggs. Will they stop laying when a broody hen sets a nest (she’s setting on two ceramic eggs. I don’t have a roo) I’ve looked to see if they all went somewhere else but no luck. Should I take the fake eggs away? Why would she take to setting on a nest if there’s no roosters around. Any help would be so welcome

 

[sourland]

Roosters are not necessary for a hen to lay or to go broody. Broodiness is not contagious. How old are your birds ? It's the normal time of year for older birds to take a break in the laying cycle and molt.

 

[BDutch]

What breed do you have? .

Imo its quit early to take a winter break for the whole flock. But egg collecting is getting less abundant in september it was in spring/summer. And yes, broody chickens and heavily moulting chickens stop laying. They need the energy and proteins to stay healthy/grow feathers.

Chickens are not smart enough to understand a rooster is required to fertilise eggs for hatching .

If you have a broody and you don’t have a rooster/want chicks. Stop her broodiness! It will cost her energy and she might get unhealthy if she stays on the nest for several weeks. Get the fake eggs out and close the laying nest if no chickens are laying.

Look for mites or other parasites in the coop and on the chickens, Maybe you have an issue with their health if they all stopped laying so soon,
Please let us know if you see any lice/mites. And make a picture of it. Look again in the night with a torch to see if there are bird mites. They suck the blood out you’re chickens if you have any.

 

[Nessa's girls]

I know about the rooster thing. Also about broodiness not being contagious. I’ve not ever had my girls to stop all at once before. I guess I’ll just keep an eye out to see what changes they make. My girls are only 2 years old. Should I take away the ceramic eggs away from her?

 

[BDutch]

I know about the rooster thing. Also about broodiness not being contagious. I’ve not ever had my girls to stop all at once before. I guess I’ll just keep an eye out to see what changes they make. My girls are only 2 years old. Should I take away the ceramic eggs away from her?

Broodiness can be contagious. Most of my Dutch chickens get broody if I leave one chickens on a nest with more than 6 eggs.

Best get the fake egg out or even better : close the nest until this hen stops being broody.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broodiness might be somewhat "contagious" but it also throws things off kilter in the flock, due to the fact that broodies are amped up on hormones and often quite cranky and tempermental.

If you do not intend to hatch/raise chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly so things will calm back down in the flock.

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[aart]

My girls are only 2 years old.

Shortening days will see a cessation of lay and feathers flying from the molt.