Why are my hens not laying? I have a theory. ><

[Weeg]

Eggs dont really matter. These chickens are pets and fair/show birds. We don't eat very many eggs and they are my babies.

Nice, mine are pets as well. Seems you have nothing to worry about then. Have fun with your beautiful tiny flock! Cochin bantams are some of my favs!

 

[featherhead007]

OMG!! I did not mention breed either! (Though you can probably tell from my sig.) They are all Cochin bantam. I never had a decrease in eggs last year. Chickens are funny. funny, funny, funny.

My Bantam Cochin doesn’t lay eggs at all , (But he’s a rooster, so….)

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

I have 3 roosters and 6 hens, see a problem. They are in 2 pens though. The one at my hous is a black Cochin Bantam and he has 3 Cochin bantam hens. Good there. However at my Grandmas house I have a BB Red OEGB cockerel and another black Cochin bantam rooster.They have 2 cochin bantams and a golden laced Sebright. I need to get rid of one of the roos at Grandmas house but nobody needs a rooster. They are almost 6 months old and no eggs from them either.
2 of the hens at my house when they were laying:

Rooster at my house:

2 of the Hens at Grandmas house:

Cochin rooster at Grandmas house:

BB Red OEGB at Grandmas house:

 

[featherhead007]

I have 3 roosters and 6 hens, see a problem. They are in 2 pens though. The one at my hous is a black Cochin Bantam and he has 3 Cochin bantam hens. Good there. However at my Grandmas house I have a BB Red OEGB cockerel and another black Cochin bantam rooster.They have 2 cochin bantams and a golden laced Sebright. I need to get rid of one of the roos at Grandmas house but nobody needs a rooster. They are almost 6 months old and no eggs from them either.
2 of the hens at my house when they were laying:
View attachment 2888858

Rooster at my house:
View attachment 2888866

2 of the Hens at Grandmas house:
View attachment 2888859View attachment 2888860

Cochin rooster at Grandmas house:
View attachment 2888868

BB Red OEGB at Grandmas house:
View attachment 2888869

Just look at those feathered feet!

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

Just look at those feathered feet!

Yep. I love em'. Whole reason I started with Cochin Bantams was because they were small, fluffy, and those feet!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hens don't stop laying because they are lazy. They really have no control over whether they lay an egg or not. It all has to do with their hormones, which are tied to age, general health, and, as others have mentioned, daylight hours. When conditions allow, they will lay again.

 

[bruceha2000]

My Bantam Cochin doesn’t lay eggs at all , (But he’s a rooster, so….)

You sure cut them a lot of slack!!

 

[DParker75089]

Part of it is probably because our temperature changed so fast, it went from the 80s to the 40s in a matter of 2-3 days. However they quit when it was still warm.

Why would you conclude that the temperature drop had something to do with cessation of egg production when they stopped laying before that temperature drop even happened?

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

Why would you conclude that the temperature drop had something to do with cessation of egg production when they stopped laying before that temperature drop even happened?

I am still new to chicken keeping and they have never quit like this before so I was just throwing that idea out there to go through folks head.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I never had a decrease in eggs last year.

Young birds (1 year or less) often lay through their first winter.

If you add more birds in the future so you end up with a flock with varied ages, you'll see that the older birds molt earlier and resume laying later, whereas the youngest may continue to lay through winter.