went from 20 Eggs a day to 1, is this how it is going to be all winter?

[ronott1]

Some of mine are molting also, but not all of them, I just added some Guineas to the flock also to replace the ones I lost, Everyone is on lock down for at least another month. They all look healthy.

They will stop laying 1 to 3 months when they molt. Going Broody will stop them laying for about 6 weeks. Give them extra protein and set up a light that turns on at about 4 to 4:30 in the morning. It does not have to be a bright light, just enough for the chickens to see. 40 watts is usually enough. Pullets will continue to lay in the winter if they start late summer to Fall.

I know a lot of people want the let them have a break in the winter but consider this. Chickens are native to the tropics where there is constant sunlight.

They get their break when they molt.

They had already stopped laying when I added the Guineas.

Your Rocks are winter layers and will not completely stop in the winter. The Ameraucans will stop in the winter. After the new addition stress is over, the Rocks will start again(unless they are molting-see above). The rest will need light to lay this winter(except the Leghorn Pullet).

I set up my light system on Friday (11/23) and will continue until February.

 

[ChickN'ChaseR]

I have the same problem...No Eggs...I have FORTY Hens..all should be of age to lay..about half of them are 2-3 years old...the rest are Feb to June hatches of this current year...around the time the new hens should have begun laying ALL of them stopped. I feel really dumb to be buying eggs at Food Maxx when I am an owner of so many chickens..also at
the rate that I'm buying hen food at the tractor supply...its a little strange to be buying eggs period. Now I thought perhaps that the new girls were hiding their treasures in the pasture..but none to be found..We built 3 new coops with runs to keep them cooped up making sure there were limited hiding spaces and may be we could induce them to lay in the nests like good little hens...I have supplemented their diet and put them on a grow food for a month in case they were moulting so they could rest and work on new feathers..to no avail..they were treated for parasites and checked for mites...it has been since August that we have had any eggs..also as a note..my ducks have also stopped all egglaying as well. We are in north California and our weather is not normal but last year when the hens quit for one month my 5 Ducks kept us stocked in eggs. My flock has been ranged on pasture with access to Three coops with many nests..plus are fed twice a day with layer crumbles and pellets....and we keep flock blocks for them in all the runs..they look happy and healthy..glossy feathers..a few look like they need to moult their feathers are worn out and brittle..but those ones are all the older hens. We are discussing putting lights out in the new coops..but I have hated that idea from the start because I like my chickens to rest at night and I don't want them to be overworked ...but as of now I have no idea what can be wrong with them.

 

[ronott1]

I have the same problem...No Eggs...I have FORTY Hens..all should be of age to lay..about half of them are 2-3 years old...the rest are Feb to June hatches of this current year...around the time the new hens should have begun laying ALL of them stopped. I feel really dumb to be buying eggs at Food Maxx when I am an owner of so many chickens..also at
the rate that I'm buying hen food at the tractor supply...its a little strange to be buying eggs period. Now I thought perhaps that the new girls were hiding their treasures in the pasture..but none to be found..We built 3 new coops with runs to keep them cooped up making sure there were limited hiding spaces and may be we could induce them to lay in the nests like good little hens...I have supplemented their diet and put them on a grow food for a month in case they were moulting so they could rest and work on new feathers..to no avail..they were treated for parasites and checked for mites...it has been since August that we have had any eggs..also as a note..my ducks have also stopped all egglaying as well. We are in north California and our weather is not normal but last year when the hens quit for one month my 5 Ducks kept us stocked in eggs. My flock has been ranged on pasture with access to Three coops with many nests..plus are fed twice a day with layer crumbles and pellets....and we keep flock blocks for them in all the runs..they look happy and healthy..glossy feathers..a few look like they need to moult their feathers are worn out and brittle..but those ones are all the older hens. We are discussing putting lights out in the new coops..but I have hated that idea from the start because I like my chickens to rest at night and I don't want them to be overworked ...but as of now I have no idea what can be wrong with them.

Set up the lights with a timer to have them come on at 4 am and go off at sunrise. They will start laying in a week.

Come say Hi! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/25/california-northern/9280

 

[ChickN'ChaseR]

Thank You! I will try it..

 

[Amanda4414]

good luck

 

[Joe.G]

The leghorn Is a nice Layer it lays the perfect looking egg, the EE's and the Ameraucans will stop in the winter? how about the sex links and the others in my sig?

 

[Courtney R]

I have seen a couple of ppl posting this, its bcuz it takes alot out of them,physically to lay eggs and it also takes nutrients and things like that.

 

[Amanda4414]

the sex links at my home stopped laying this winter for about a month but now we r getting like 5-6 a day

 

[ronott1]

The leghorn Is a nice Layer it lays the perfect looking egg, the EE's and the Ameraucans will stop in the winter? how about the sex links and the others in my sig?

Hendersons Chicken Chart will tell you. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Of Yours:

Barred Rocks
Partridge Rocks
Wyandotte's

are winter layers. The others will stop in the winter when the light gets low(November to late January). The Winter layers will not lay as much as they will in the Spring, but they will keep laying at a lower rate in the winter, probably 2 or 3 per week per hen. The others will need supplemental light to lay.

It depends on how many eggs you want for the winter. If you can make it with the lower number, you should start getting eggs from the winter layers as soon as the stress is past. Probably 2 weeks from when the Guineas were introduced or when they recover from molting.

Sex links are not a Breed, so Hendersons does not list them. If they have Rocks as parent stock, they may lay in the winter. My Golden Comet lays in the winter, well she just started up after molting.

 

[BrendaJ]

The leghorn Is a nice Layer it lays the perfect looking egg, the EE's and the Ameraucans will stop in the winter? how about the sex links and the others in my sig?

My leghorns & sexlinks lay everyday. Its my black copper marans that a picky - lol... I use a light in the winter & it really helps. I turn it on around 6-7 am & off in the late afternoon/ evenings