what's causing chickens to stop laying??

[tenbensel]

We have four chickens now and two guineas. The guineas are laying fine. The chickens however are not.. the weather is pretty mild here in SC. We have had a couple low 30's nights but now it's low 50's highs in the high 70's and lower 80's. All the chickens were on tetracycline for 5 days and have been off of it for 5 days -they are only a year old, the austrolorp has continued to lay, the others aren't laying with the exception of one soft egg that was laid in the yard..not in a nest box? Anybody have any thoughts?? We have had a terrible problem with cankar worms in our oak trees so they are getting plenty of food to eat...thanks so much!

 

[Domestic_goddess]

We have four chickens now and two guineas. The guineas are laying fine. The chickens however are not.. the weather is pretty mild here in SC. We have had a couple low 30's nights but now it's low 50's highs in the high 70's and lower 80's. All the chickens were on tetracycline for 5 days and have been off of it for 5 days -they are only a year old, the austrolorp has continued to lay, the others aren't laying with the exception of one soft egg that was laid in the yard..not in a nest box? Anybody have any thoughts?? We have had a terrible problem with cankar worms in our oak trees so they are getting plenty of food to eat...thanks so much!

Have they moulted yet, they usually will for the first time a year old. Usually in the spring and or fall, that can cause them to stop laying. But you'll start to notice them losing thier feathers.

 

[Cindy in PA]

A decent layer should molt a year or more AFTER they start laying, so 17+ months or so. If they are only a year old, it would be early.