Why aren't I getting any eggs??????

[wjallen05]

NONE of my hens are laying!!

I am SO upset! I spend all this money and time feeding them and caring for them and I have to buy eggs from the store!

I have 6 236 Leghorns, 2 Easter Eggers that are 30+ weeks old, 4 RIRs, 1 Wyandotte, 1 Buff Orp that are 27+ weeks old, and 2 Ameraucanas and 2 Silkies that are 23+ weeks old... and NONE of them are laying any eggs!! It's been nearly 2 weeks now since I've gotten a single egg. Even my bantam hen stopped laying. I used to get about 7 eggs a day. I even put out glass eggs and moth balls incase it's a snake.
I almost want to just sell them all and forget about it....

 

[Elite Silkies]

I think everyone is having that problem right now. They are all on strike.

 

[Brassmaster]

Well, the first thing you want to do is sell all those roosters and get some hens!

Just kidding. That seems weird to me. I had new pullets that took 22 weeks to get started, a couple of them are 23+ and still haven't layed. 30 weeks seems really long to me.

 

[ranchhand]

Could be the heat, but also consider if your eggs are getting stolen. I have a couple of yellow rat snakes who steal daily, and you might also consider people! (my snakes are wise to the fake eggs, btw)

There was a hilarious thread a while back by a lady who suddenly didn't have any eggs, after they had gotten rid of their rooster. Weeks went by, then she caught her husband pitching the eggs into the woods! He said well, with no rooster they're not any good!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I thought are 8 hens had gone on strike. Then I found out we're feeding 3 snakes, minimum, and then I discovered a hidden nest of eggs. 2 hens decided to take their business elsewhere, I guess.

 

[johnnalei]

My two young hens are just about 30 weeks old and only one started laying, and that was just a week ago. Still only got maybe 2 or 3 eggs from her. I'd give them more time.

 

[Spud395]

Quote:
Last year when we were on holidays my friend was coming over twice a day to look after the hens.
She reported no eggs where we allways got 5-6.
One morning she met our neighbour coming out of the yard with a suspect package, full compliment of eggs after that

 

[wjallen05]

you might also consider people!

I have three dogs who would be very unhappy if an intruder came up to the house... so I highly doubt that is the case. Plus we live in the middle of a 70 acre property off a back road.

I would have thought the moth balls would keep the snakes away?? Plus, I went from getting up to 7 eggs a day, to NONE. I know that we DID have a snake (caught him once, put him in the woods, then a couple days later he came back... haven't been able to catch him since) but whenever I'd put fresh moth balls around the nest boxes, I'd always get a lot more eggs. Plus I check several times a day. Though now I only check about every other day, if that. I am tired of getting disappointed.​

 

[Wynette]

Hens need breaks now and then....mine are on a break of sorts, too. As much as I wish they'd all start back up, I know they need some time off to recuperate. Laying eggs is hard on them. Patience, my friend!