Where are the eggs?

[bigspringshatchery]

I have about 20 hens and currently getting ZERO eggs. I haven't got an egg prolly in three months. What has caused all of my hens to quit laying. They molted maybe 2 months ago but have stopped. They are killing my bank account. I got thru around 6 bags of feed a week.

 

[Happy Chooks]

They don't lay eggs while molting. Feathers are mostly protein, and they need all their protein for feather growth. Even after they have all their feathers back in, they have to build up their body to get back to laying. Some hens drop a good amount of weight while molting.

If they have been molting for 3 months, you should be really close to getting eggs again.

How big are your feed bags? I have 24 chickens and go through a 50 lb bag in roughly a month. If you are really going through that much feed, you have other problems. Have you wormed them?

 

[Jay262]

If your going through 6 bags of feed a week on 20 chickens they should be laying golden eggs lol. Seriously though they might be molting again or something might be bothering them maybe a predator around or quite possible rats in the coop they will eat eggs and or cause your girls enough anxiety not to lay. There alot of factors that could stop them from laying firstly think about anything that might have changed around when they stopped laying maybe a feed change or new coop, new lighting or lighting removed.

 

[Katydid2011]

Quote:
X2

 

[JodyJo]

6 bags? what size are the bags? I have 15 and don't go through 1 50 lb in 6 weeks.

check for hidden nests outside...do they free range? they could have them hidden where you can't see.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
The bags are 50 lbs bags. In one pen I have about around 15 chickens and I have two 30 lbs feeders. They will clean then out in about a weekend. Plus my other two pens. They haven't been wormed in a while. Would this cause them to stop laying. Nothing has changed, still same pens and haven;t introduced new birds.

 

[BlazeJester]

It could have to do with daylight. We are getting to the shortest days of the year and without artificial light they won't resume laying until days lengthen.

It could also have to do with their age. How old are these birds? I found my BRs had a hard time coming back into lay this year - they are 2.5 and the shells are not what they should be after this fall's molt. Your hens could just be getting to the age where they may not lay in winter anymore.

However, as everyone else has mentioned, 300lb of feed in a week is a HUGE problem. worm them, clean their space... if you are feeding mash or crumbles, maybe get pellets so the waste is much less.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
I have some RIR that are 2.5 years old. They are my oldest birds. My BRs are around 1.5 and i have other that are just around a yr.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
The bags are 50 lbs bags. In one pen I have about around 15 chickens and I have two 30 lbs feeders. They will clean then out in about a weekend. Plus my other two pens. They haven't been wormed in a while. Would this cause them to stop laying. Nothing has changed, still same pens and haven;t introduced new birds.

That is WAYYYYYY too much feed to go through for that amount of chickens. You have something else massively wrong in your flock. Parasites can cause this as they need to consume more feed to maintain their weight. And yes, if their body stores get too low due to worms, they can stop laying altogether and possibly die if the worm load gets too great.

I'd worm them immediately - use Valbazen, it will kill all types of worms. If they have tapeworms, it gets a little trickier, can require an extra treatment. Here's a great thread on valbazen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=420520

For my 24 chickens, 50 lbs lasts at least a month, if not a bit more.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
The bags are 50 lbs bags. In one pen I have about around 15 chickens and I have two 30 lbs feeders. They will clean then out in about a weekend. Plus my other two pens. They haven't been wormed in a while. Would this cause them to stop laying. Nothing has changed, still same pens and haven;t introduced new birds.

That is WAYYYYYY too much feed to go through for that amount of chickens. You have something else massively wrong in your flock. Parasites can cause this as they need to consume more feed to maintain their weight. And yes, if their body stores get too low due to worms, they can stop laying altogether and possibly die if the worm load gets too great.

I'd worm them immediately - use Valbazen, it will kill all types of worms. If they have tapeworms, it gets a little trickier, can require an extra treatment. Here's a great thread on valbazen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=420520

For my 24 chickens, 50 lbs lasts at least a month, if not a bit more.

Thanks for all your help. I there any signs of worms. They seem the same. But after you mention it here in the past few months all ot seems they do is stand around the feeders and eat. Once I pour feed in the feeder they attack the feeders like they are starving. Even of they have some in the bottom of the feeder and I just top it off they still act like they are starving.

Would any medicine work just incase my local feed store doesn't have that kind.