When does laying resume after molting?

[Trish1974]

My flock is around 16 months old, and half of them are molting. Will they start laying again after all their new feathers are fully developed? Or will they not lay again until the days are longer?

 

[rjohns39]

Trish, I'm going to hang around and watch the answers you get. I'm in the same boat.

 

[Sublight]

If you guys don't mind, ill hang out with you here, and hopefully read the updates. I don't know either, but seems like good information to know.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Might depend if you are using extra lighting or not, but I found mine usually start to ramp up shortly after the winter solstice at the end of December.

 

[Trish1974]

Nope, I do not use artificial lighting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some chickens are fast molters, some slow molters. That's controlled by genetics. It's not about how fast the feathers grow back, it's about how fast they fall out so they can start to grow back. Some hens can be over the molt in a month or so, some might go 4 months. Most production breeds tend to be fairly fast, the decorative breeds tend to be slower, but each one can be different, even of the same breed.

Some hens will start to lay when the molt is over, regardless of the time of the year. I've had some crank it back up in early December, the shortest days of the year and still getting shorter. I've had some wait until the days get longer even if they have finished the molt. Like Cindy it usually doesn't take the days getting much longer for these to crank it back up, but occasionally I have a slacker, even factoring in when they finish the molt. It's very much an individual chicken thing.

 

[rjohns39]

Mine are all non-industrial heritage breeds. It all started when I was forced to change their feed... Everyone quit laying. Then my adult birds went into molt. Finally got them good feed again and they appear well feathered and not at all interested in laying. My pullets are all too young to lay and the ducks have no excuse. ARG

 

[Trish1974]

Thanks Ridgerunner!

 

[song of joy]

Might depend if you are using extra lighting or not, but I found mine usually start to ramp up shortly after the winter solstice at the end of December.

That's what I've seen over the years in my flock as well. I don't provide supplemental light, and they usually start laying again between early January and late February, depending on the age and breed of the individual hen.

 

[bethadee]

I'm in the same boat. Only ONE of my 9 hens is laying on a regular basis (~5 eggs per week) and the other eight have produced not a single egg in about 4 months. They all molted, suffered a respiratory virus due to a new pullet in the flock that was brought on my a dog attack which scared the living hell out of all of them. It's been months since all these events with not a single egg. They don't free range, I've searched everywhere in the coop. They simply aren't laying. All of them are under 3 years old. I know production slows during molt and winter, but is it normal for it to stop completely? Are you guys seeing the same thing?