When can I expect my hens to start laying again?

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I live in the PNW, specifically in North Idaho. I have 6 adult hens, 4 of them are about 10 months old and the other 2 are 3 yo. The breeds are: Lav Orpington (10 m), Buff Orp (3y), Olive egger (10 m), Dark Brahma (10 m), Easter Egger (3y), and a Gold Laced Blue Wyandotte (10 m). I have not gotten a single egg this winter from any of my hens, although all of my hens were laying before winter except for my Dark Brahma - she has never laid any eggs. My question here is when can I expect my hens to start laying again? They eat an all flock food with oyster shells on the side.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Your 3 year-olds could be at the end of their laying career, so I'd consider any eggs from them a bonus. I'd expect the younger girls to start back up sometime in February. No guarantees, of course, but I think the days need to get a bit longer first.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I got my hens and pullets laying after the hens finished molting by adding light to the coop to give them 12-hour "days." It does not need to be bright light, a night light will do, something you can read a newspaper by. I turn the light on in the afternoon and we turn it off at 7 p.m. It took about 3 weeks for production to start up and I am now getting about 12 eggs a day from my 28 hens and pullets, 6 of whom I do not expect to lay until March. You can add light in the morning if that works better for you.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Mine start back up again in late January/February. Brahmas are late bloomers and many start laying quite a bit later than other, smaller breeds.

Your 3 year-olds could be at the end of their laying career, so I'd consider any eggs from them a bonus.

Three years old is far from the end of most hens' laying careers. Most hens that age, especially EEs, still lay plenty and consistently in the summer. They start to really slow down at around 6.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Most hens that age, especially EEs, still lay plenty and consistently in the summer. They start to really slow down at around 6.

I have heard a few people mention EE’s, specifically, as laying up until the end. It’s pretty mind boggling!

 

[StinkyAcres]

I have heard a few people mention EE’s, specifically, as laying up until the end. It’s pretty mind boggling!

Yep, my oldest EE laid an egg every month or so at nine years old before she died of unrelated causes. My current EE and White Plymouth Rock will be nine in May and they were both laying last year.

 

[ksbkeys]

I live in the PNW, specifically in North Idaho. I have 6 adult hens, 4 of them are about 10 months old and the other 2 are 3 yo. The breeds are: Lav Orpington (10 m), Buff Orp (3y), Olive egger (10 m), Dark Brahma (10 m), Easter Egger (3y), and a Gold Laced Blue Wyandotte (10 m). I have not gotten a single egg this winter from any of my hens, although all of my hens were laying before winter except for my Dark Brahma - she has never laid any eggs. My question here is when can I expect my hens to start laying again? They eat an all flock food with oyster shells on the side.

I get eggs all year round by using a light with a timer in the coop that gives them 12 hour days. The timer was inexpensive and a great investment. It came on and then off again for the time I set it.

 

[Bawkbok]

We do not use any artificial light but prefer the natural order of things. Our Orps have been laying all winter but are not as old as yours so they may be slowing down due to age and less light but should pick it back up soon.
Your pullets should pick up production in Spring which for the PNW may be a little later....?

 

[FunClucks]

Check your daylight present within your actual coop. For instance, I have my girls in a covered run (no physical coop) - they have a greenhouse frame covered in hardware cloth and a clear plastic tarp. They have light shade when the trees have leaves, but in the winter, we get as much daylight as the earth will provide, leafless trees only. My older girls molt for about a month or so and then start back up. Otherwise they lay year round if they're good layers - I have a fair number of production hens in Alabama.

If you have a solid side coop, in a shady space, they may not get as much daylight as your environment provides, since they're in a dark space inside your coop. If you're having issues with super long-seeming molts, or birds that just don't lay, adding some light inside your coop even just to echo the amount of natural daylight the earth is getting where you are for the time of year, is a reasonable thing to try.

 

[Fowlnatured]

I live in the PNW, specifically in North Idaho. I have 6 adult hens, 4 of them are about 10 months old and the other 2 are 3 yo. The breeds are: Lav Orpington (10 m), Buff Orp (3y), Olive egger (10 m), Dark Brahma (10 m), Easter Egger (3y), and a Gold Laced Blue Wyandotte (10 m). I have not gotten a single egg this winter from any of my hens, although all of my hens were laying before winter except for my Dark Brahma - she has never laid any eggs. My question here is when can I expect my hens to start laying again? They eat an all flock food with oyster shells on the side.

Here in Western Washington the hens lay year round although the older hens, sexlinks, have slowed down to every other day or so.
Mine are mainly Novigens and White Rocks.
The young White Rocks have layed almost 100% all winter but our winters are different than yours.
(It's been warmer than average here also.)

Laying is a function of reproduction and hens probably aren't inclined to lay when chick survival wouldn't be likely.
You'll probably have to wait for spring like weather and longer days.