The ladies have stopped laying!

[GoChicks65]

So this is a puzzler. It's End of May and the ladies have all quite laying. Well, the both of them. They have been great up until about two weeks ago, then nothing. I'm perplexed. They have the same feed, plenty of oyster shells, we give them greens and a some meal worms and the occasional batch of fruit. No one is egg bound, no changes in behavior at all. We've just got no eggs!!

Suggestions? Anyone? My uncle always said, when the chickens stop laying ,add grass to the run (they don't free-range), so we did. Plus they get the weeds and grasses we pull. Still nothing.

So strange... help!!!

 

[Handyhens]

Your ladies are probably molting, they dont lay eggs during this period,they should start again in 2 weeks. btw:

 

[BantamLover21]

So this is a puzzler. It's End of May and the ladies have all quite laying. Well, the both of them. They have been great up until about two weeks ago, then nothing. I'm perplexed. They have the same feed, plenty of oyster shells, we give them greens and a some meal worms and the occasional batch of fruit. No one is egg bound, no changes in behavior at all. We've just got no eggs!!

Suggestions? Anyone? My uncle always said, when the chickens stop laying ,add grass to the run (they don't free-range), so we did. Plus they get the weeds and grasses we pull. Still nothing.

So strange... help!!!

How old are they? Have they ever molted? Once chickens get to a year of age, they lose, and then grow in, a new set of feathers in a process known as "molting." During molting, most birds stop laying because their energy is going into feathers, not eggs.After their first molt, chickens then usually molt once each year thereafter. The most common time for molting is in the fall/early winter, or in early summer (at least in my experience), so it is possible that your hens are about to begin their molt.

Other than molting, something that can cause molting is stress (caused by disease, heat, bullying by other flock members, parasites, nearby loud noises, etc.) You say that they're still acting normal, but I would be sure to check them for mites/lice, and consider worming them. Also make sure they don't have any symptoms of disease, like nasal discharge, odd breathing, swelling, etc.

If nothing seems wrong, and they aren't molting, they might just be taking a break. My chickens do that at certain times of year, and usually begin laying again within a month.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/450/several-reasons-why-your-hens-may-stop-laying-eggs

 

[GoChicks65]

They're about a year/year and a half. I thought Molting perhaps, but they've not shed a feather. They are just lounging and clucking about as always...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Molting can be any time but usually the second autumn and every one thereafter. May is an unusual time.

 

[theoldchick]

Are they eating the eggs? Or hiding them?

 

[GoChicks65]

I did find one broken egg in the coop about three days after they stopped. But it looked like all the shell was there and the egg matter was clumped up in the straw. I removed it and have been checking daily. No eggs, no shell remnants... not really even nesting much.