strange chickens stopped laying

[pattypenny]

I have 10 EE pullets, hatched 3/15/2010. one hen started laying in October. I am pretty sure 4 maybe 5 hens layed eggs for 2/3 weeks not regular but enough to say they were laying. now all the pullets have stopped laying. no eggs in the last 2 weeks. I have 11 red sex links , last years birds that are in molt only laying maybe 12 eggs a week for the flock.
Have you ever seen pullets to start laying and then stop? I have never had this happen before with my spring hatch.
No feed changes, We did have a little cold snap about the time the pullets stopped laying. Has any of you had this happen with EE pullets?

 

[Judy]

It's happening to most everyone with all breeds. Colder and shorter days, mostly, along with molt or partial molt in many cases. Sometimes a hidden nest. There are threads about this on here almost daily now.

 

[DottieMarie]

I'm so happy to hear it's not just my birds. I'm only getting 2 eggs a day and I have 15 hens. I was thinking they were sick but they are all acting fine otherwise.

 

[teach1rusl]

Oh yeah...I've gotten ZIP for the past two days. And one of my pullets had JUST started laying sporadically, so I was hoping she might lay all winter..

I don't supplement light, so if the eggs are important to you, you may want to extend their light by a few hours to help...

 

[CMV]

My EEs aren't laying. Everyone else is fine, but no colored eggs. All my other breeds are winter hardy for continuous laying throughout the winter. The EEs are more for fun, and it's a good thing because as soon as the days even threatened to be cold they stopped laying.

 

[pattypenny]

Thanks for replies, I suppose the EE might be stopping because of the cold snap but it is strange usually I raise a few pullets and they lay when the older hens molt but not this fall. I suppose everyone will lay in febuary when the day lights hours are longer.

 

[sourland]

EE have not been selected for egg production and are more affected by climatic and daylength changes than the production birds are.

 

[MissJenny]

My EE's and my light brahma haven't laid in a couple of weeks -- only my little cochin and big barred rock still lay almost daily.

So I am guessing they won't pick back up again till maybe next April or May. Is that right?

Jenny