Whole flock stopped laying?!?!

[New2theFlock]

I have 8 sapphire gem hens that are 2.75 years old. Egg production has been slowing down to 3-4 eggs a day this summer to maybe 2 a day this fall, but in the past few weeks, we may have gotten 4 eggs total. Is this just the end of daylight savings time with older hens, or is something else going on?

All the girls seem healthy and are getting along (thanks to good advice from this group this summer). Water and food access is not a problem (2 feeders and 3 waterers) and they have plenty of room, including free range time most afternoons. All the combs look good, and all except 1 (sweet Patient Chicken is bottom of pecking order) have all their feathers.

We are in GA mtns. Any guidance you can give would be helpful.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Are they molting? And yes, at that age I'm surprised they're laying as much as they are. But with shorter daylight hours they will lay less anyway. Of my seven laying hens whose ages vary I am getting 2 eggs on average per day right now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very normal. I haven't gotten eggs in over a month as we have noticeably shorter daylight hours now.

Older birds will generally lay fewer eggs per week each passing year, and for shorter spans of time - and some may permanently stop laying outright.

 

[New2theFlock]

Are they molting? And yes, at that age I'm surprised they're laying as much as they are. But with shorter daylight hours they will lay less anyway. Of my seven laying hens whose ages vary I am getting 2 eggs on average per day right now.

Correction-- our chickens are 2.75 years old. I lost track during the covid time warp

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

The covid time warp
Love it!