When will they start back laying eggs?

[drinkoj]

When will the hens begin laying regularly? Is it still the down time due to day light for them to be laying? Or has my flock of 11 hens hit their wall?

White leghorns and ISA Brown hens, born May 16, 2000. Went through their first molt last year/this year. Egg production declined of course, but now their back to being fully feathered. The have ample shelter in their house, plenty of room in the run, lots of water, and being feed layer with grit and oyster shell on the side being available. Little to no stress from predators due to the enclosure, fenced in yard, and 3 Australian Shepherds to patrol the backyard.

I am getting zero to one egg a day going on for almost a week now. The temperatures around Anderson, SC have been up and down the past month (45F to 68F in the afternoon & 29F to 45F in the mornings), so we're all over the place with temps.

 

[3DFowlFarm]

When will the hens begin laying regularly? Is it still the down time due to day light for them to be laying? Or has my flock of 11 hens hit their wall?

White leghorns and ISA Brown hens, born May 16, 2000. Went through their first molt last year/this year. Egg production declined of course, but now their back to being fully feathered. The have ample shelter in their house, plenty of room in the run, lots of water, and being feed layer with grit and oyster shell on the side being available. Little to no stress from predators due to the enclosure, fenced in yard, and 3 Australian Shepherds to patrol the backyard.

I am getting zero to one egg a day going on for almost a week now. The temperatures around Anderson, SC have been up and down the past month (45F to 68F in the afternoon & 29F to 45F in the mornings), so we're all over the place with temps.

I suggest you try two things: 1) add a 60 watt soft light, leave it on for 48 hrs and then for 14-16 hrs/day next few weeks and 2) eliminate any addtl treats or scratch, oyster shell/grit OK. 3) Add another waterer. We've had good success with our productivity doing these 3 things. Good luck, keep posted

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am getting zero to one egg a day going on for almost a week now.

Not sure what this means. Is the 1 a day an improvement or did they just drops to 1 from several a day? A bit on their laying history might help. When did they start their molt? One week isn't that much time for trends. I don't like to assume, I often get it wrong.

At that age they certainly have not hit their wall. My assumption is that they totally quit for the molt and have just started back to laying. Slowly but started. The days are getting longer and warmer, though they are not yet consistently warm. My guess is that if you have a little patience they will crank up before long. Some hens start laying when they finish their molt, some wait until the days get a little longer. I don't see any reason to panic or take drastic action.

Are you sure some of them are not laying and hiding the nest from you? That happens.

Is something getting the eggs? Most critters eating eggs leave signs, about the only ones that don't in South Carolina are snakes, canines, and humans. It's probably too cold for snakes, they are not consistent anyway. Foxes and coyotes would probably be more interested in your chickens so probably not them but does a dog have access? They might eat eggs and not bother the hens. A human doesn't always mean a thief, some people do this type of thing as a practical joke and think it's funny.

When you are not getting eggs the molt, hidden nests, and critters are the most common reasons. I think it is highly likely they just haven't cranked back up after the molt. This time of year in the northern hemisphere that's real real common.

 

[drinkoj]

They went from 9 to 10 before the molt, to 2 to 5 Nov/December when they molted to early February, and since March it's none to 1 daily.
My setup is pretty darn secure with 1/4 hardware like this site suggests, mice (small) are the only things I've seen and we're taking care of them.
Found some hidden ones from time to time in the run, but it's not a large amount.

 

[Shezadandy]

Adding light is the main thing (and have food/water available for the extra hours you keep them awake). I did mine in late December after allowing a natural molt/decrease in light from Sept-late December. Then I added an extra 2hrs a day to their coop for about a week, then 4 extra hours after that and the laying came right back. Or you can wait for sunshine to do the job for you.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"Soon"

I'm south of you, so more dailight each day, but I went from a couple a day (much larger flock) to averaging 20-22 a day, as of about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I have two (older) comets in late, slow molt - when they finish up, I expect it will add another egg a day on average. They will be starting their third year in April, past their prime.

 

[drinkoj]

Chickens have started laying much more frequent now that the days are longer and it's getting warmer (minus this weekend it being 22 and 32 lows) Averaging 4 to 7 a day the past week, so the girls are back in their groove.