What am I doing wrong? No eggs

[Bawkbok]

Probably time of year and shorter days is increasing egg laying. As long as the eggs received are healthy and quality consistent, I wouldn't worry.

Two cups of scratch sounds like a lot for 7 chickens. I would cut this way back to minimal or eliminate all together. It should not be more than 10% of their total food intake for the day.

We feed organic due to personal health issues since we eat the eggs. The chickens are thriving on it. There are good ones out there if you need organic; just do your research.

Oyster shell must be provided separately at all times.

 

[Vicker]

Mine have shut the egg factory down, as well. They've replaced their molted feathers but haven't cranked out an egg for quite some time. I culled some older ones to make room for up-and-coming layers and found eggs in two of them (selected the wrong ones, obviously). Usually, it's nothing you're doing wrong and just a matter of patience until they recharge the system.

 

[Mrs. K]

Funniest thing, and I think it is because we have had a lot of bright sunny days. Even though the day length is shorter, I think the light we have been getting is bright, and I have had older birds, finish their molt and come back into lay. Today I got 5 eggs out of 10. Maybe one was a pullet egg.

A lot of time, our falls are more cloudy, and I have had years, where I did not get eggs until the end of January/February.

These girls are not laying every day, and they may lay a lot less, but this year they came back into lay.

I think it is the brightness of the days too along with the day length.

 

[GardenDmpls]

Chickens biological egg laying clocks are regulated by the amount of light (in hours, not brightness) that reaches their eyes per day. This ensures that they aren't hatching chicks in the winter when they don't have much chance of growing up, due to lack of food and the cold (we are talking about in nature, not in a brooder). Light is known to break down certain chemicals in the eye that are responsible for regulating sleep and other functions. For example melatonin produced in people's eyes towards evening brings on drowsiness. In the morning light breaks it down allowing us to be awake and functional. People with seasonal affective disorder make more melatonin than others and become depressed. This is remedied by exposing them to a special lamp with a timer for a certain period of time in the morning, which breaks down the excess melatonin. Amazing how all creatures bodies are designed with such precise, interesting regulatory systems that keep them alive and healthy.