UPDATE! 18 hens - ZERO eggs for 3 weeks...

[Heather J]

If you got 18 yesterday, most of them were probably jut taking the day off. When I started watching the laying cycle for my hens, I noticed I'd get certain ones on specific cycles, and never daily--darn it. Especially if they're trying t bulk up and reserve energy for the winter, just be happy with three or four average per hen each week. I'd be happy to start getting any eggs at all right now. I have 6 that stopped laying for a molt over a month ago, their feathers now look really good, and I kicked the extra boys out of the coop so they aren't being harassed, but still nothing. I started having a light come on in the mornings for a couple of hours a few days ago, and I'm hoping to get a couple eggs per bird some weeks, at least.

My BR pullets are starting to get some red in their combs, so I'm hoping for eggs from them in the next few weeks too.

Patience, patience. *sigh*

 

[19maycraft]

I have 8 layers as well, and egg production ceased about a week ago...Nothing changed, but I went out yesterday and got some cracked corn and will begin to supplement their layer feed with more protien....I also have a heat light that comes on at 5am till 9am for warmth and extra daylight, and I will leave that as is, they did go through a molt about a month ago, but eggs just turned off about 5 days ago...I have 3 sillies, 2 cochins, and polish and 2 golden comets....I had to buy eggs the other day for the first time in a year..oh well hopefully maybe they will start up again soon...

 

[19maycraft]

I was thinking...I just introduced the 2 golden comets, to the flock about the same time, that the laying stopped..could that have anything to do with it?????

 

[John T]

I have 20 hens and wasn't getting any eggs. They free range so I shut them up in their coop. After a week still nothing. I let them out a day to get some excercise and graze. I shut them back up for about a week and moved their original nest box back in the coop. All this time I have a heat lamp in their coop. I turn the lamp on in the morning before work (6:00 AM) turn it off at chore time (5-6 PM).

Tuesday night I got my first egg in about a month. Thursday night I found another. It isn't massive egg production but it is at least something.

I don't see where my chickens are destroying eggs and it has been too cold for snakes to get them. I am going to set a few mouse traps to thin the herd of mice around.

It sounds like everybody is having low egg production.