They stopped laying eggs completely

[Louhi]

Hello everyone
I hope you can help me right here
10 days ago I moved my 75 chicken and 10 rooster to free-range they were loked in a barn and a little space to hangout for 7 months they started laying eggs in July 8th, 4 weeks ago the egg production started to drop down until it stopped completely the day I moved them now it's been 12 days with no eggs or signes at all the girls don't even squat before roosters anymore I noticed that some of them are molting and some got new feathers growing up I don't know what's going onn anymore I am confused it's my first year rasing chicken at my new farm I bought, we have like 14 hours of day at this time of the year I am feeding them combination of smashed seeds and alot of grass in free range the seems very happy playing around flying and making a mess everywhere
But no eggs I have no sign of diseases no threats no stress at all in the beginning they were scared even from little bird flying around but not anymore! What should I do to have eggs again
Is it normal to molt in the 9th month of age
How long does it take to have them laying eggs again!?

 

[ChickNanny13]

First of all Great having you join our group, lots of advice and information on BYC. This is just my opinion, others will be peeping in with their opinions/advice.

The move & change of routine does affect them/egg laying. Change of season; shorter days/less day light; affects the egg laying. Some add a light on a timer in the coop. They're probably gone thru a "Jr Molt" not their true molt which usually happens between a year & 18 months. For nutrition, it would be best to have them on commercial feed to ensure they're getting all the proper nutrition. Not sure of your location, check with your feed store if they have anything like Flock Raiser, All Purpose, Multi Purpose, etc...Your whole flock can eat that, put a separate container with Oyster Shells for the hens to eat as they need.

 

[aart]

Moving stress can last for more than 12 days.
What kind of shelter/housing and nests do they have?

I am feeding them combination of smashed seeds

Probably not great nutrition...more info needed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-laying-eggs-yet.1182072/page-2#post-18644194

It's not just the protein....a good chicken ration has vitamins/minerals/amino acids that chickens need to assimilate other nutrition into eggs, especially if you want lots of eggs.

Why? Do you plan on hatching out more birds?

Couple more questions that might be pertinent:
What is your climate?
Putting your location in your profile often helps garner better answers/suggestions.

How are you housing these 150 birds?
How big, in feet by feet, is your coop and run??

 

[RollTideChicken]

This place is awesome for info and you get to pick the collective brains of some very well established chicken folks.
Congrats on your new flock and farm!
Since we don't know the hemisphere in which you live it's hard for us to know which season you are in. But, if the hens are molting, there will be little laying or mating until that finishes. It takes alot out of a chicken to regrow feathers and until they are back in the chicken will not waste energy on little else (in general).
Moving stress is a real thing. Actually my hens have gone off laying if I change too much around in their coop or run. They don't like change, or at least mine don't.
It can also be weather related. During the cold months and leading up to them, most hens will slow down their egg production, this is natural. Mine are pretty much not laying at all right now, but we are approaching winter.
All in all, I think they are fine. You could bump up their protein intake to help with the feather regrowth. And as was mentioned commercial feed is great, and at least in my parts, not expensive.
Have a great one!
And again welcome!

 

[getaclue]

Welcome! It's typical that when they molt, they slow down, or stop laying. It can also be the shorter daylight hours. It does affect them. Usually, when they get through molting, they will resume laying some during the winter, but may not be nearly as regular as during the spring, summer, and fall months.

 

[Louhi]

Moving stress can last for more than 12 days.
What kind of shelter/housing and nests do they have?

Probably not great nutrition...more info need
I am feeding them combination of seeds and fresh grass I have alot in the farm it's more than enough bugs and fresh green herbs also I have a bucket filled with smashed eggshells it's never empty as much as I know they are well spoiled when it comes to food I even make them orange and lemon juice mixed with water they love it
Anyway today I noticed something positive about them they started to go back to the coop at night without my help
I guess it's they are finally got used to the new place
I was watching them until the sun is completely gone
They are so smart
I just love them
Thank you all
I hope they start laying soon I will let you know

 

[ThatCrazyChickenGirl]

You should really consider adding some commercial feed to their diet, or picking out a feed 'base' (available online and at some feed stores) which has a vitamin and mineral supplement.

I tried to make my own food without the base for my pet rooster, when we thought he was a pullet. I mixed split peas, barley, wheat, flax, corn, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and fruit and veg. He loved it, but it stunted his growth, I believe because I didn't have the right variety of amino acids and vitamins. He was still happy and healthy, but he just didn't realize his full potential.

We are often unaware of vitamin deficiencies since so much of our food is supplemented nowadays. Even if your feed is good enough to keep them reasonably healthy, and they love it, having a fully nutritious diet will yield better egg results. You don't have to make this their main feed, if you're trying to cut costs, but a mix of just seeds and free range isn't going to keep them laying through winter! Especially as their access to insects and plant varieties in their run declines as the season gets colder.

My rooster is now paired with hens and eats their layer feed (plus scratch and treats from us) and nearly doubled his weight and muscle mass two weeks after switching feed.

 

[getaclue]

You still need to feed them some commercial feed.

 

[Louhi]

[QUOTE="getaclue, post: 19121525, member: 221HOWnN-5DQ30
Here is aill need to feed them some commercial feed.[/QUOTE]
I had my first egg since 23 days now today I was really happy
Thank you all for your support
BTW I LIVE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN NEXT TO ITALY ALGERIA AND LYBEA
North Africa
We are at the fall but the weather is like a spring all year except the summer it gets really hot
I still go to the beach day after day I do that almost all year ever at winter time it's like 25 degree in the coldest days of winter it gets to 10 only at night or in a few hours rarely when it gets cloudy and rainy
Actually I never saw snow before in my life so it's a perfect weather for rasing chicken and have fun also it's always green
Free range chicken farming:

Here is a video on the new place for my chicks

 

[getaclue]

Glad they started laying for you! I'm so sorry I misunderstood some of what you were saying. When you said you moved them to free range, and they had been locked up in the barn, I thought that meant you simply began letting them out of the barn during the daytime to free range, and they were returning to it at night to roost. I did not understand it to mean that you had built another coop for them too. Yes, moving them to a totally new environment, will stress them for awhile, until they become adjusted. They seem very happy with their new life. Good job!

I see that some are molting. Regardless of the temperature, the chickens will notice a change in seasons, even if it's only that the days are an hour shorter. The proof is that I can see some of them in molt. When chickens molt, most of their food goes into making new feathers, not eggs. That is why I suggested some commercial feed, since it's more balanced to give them better nutrition, which helps when they are growing their feathers back in.

I noticed you used chicken wire for their fence. What predators do you have there? Keep an eye on them, at first, to be sure they know to hide, or escape from predators, especially any flying predators. Sometimes when they've been kept for a long time in a safe environment, like the barn, they have to re-learn how to hide, and call out a warning to the rest of the flock.

Just so you know, when you say 25 degrees, please mention that it's degrees celsius. Here in the US, we use fahrenheit, so your 25 degrees celsius is 77 degrees fahrenheit. Yes, there is a big difference between the two, which we can easily convert, but we need to know to convert it. When people here are talking about it being 25 degrees outside, they mean -3.8 degrees celsius.

The only other things I can advise you about, is routinely checking them for bugs like mites, and lice. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html Check their poop, and color of their combs sometimes, for internal parasites, like worms.

You are off to a great start with them. It's nice to hear how much you enjoy them. Good luck!