Why Aren't My Chickens Laying? Here Are Your Answers!

[Cass]

Great questions, but unfortunately none of them added up. We give them very little treats, defiantly not consistently.

We have raised Brahmas from chicks before and it didn't take them this long (only difference is, we paid more this time and got them from the local feed mill in the spring because none of the Farm stores in a 40 mile radius weren't getting any of the Light Brahmas in.) I even took into consideration they were a bigger bird but past history still showed it has never taken this long.

We did change our food for them (to a better higher quality feed) thinking that would help...but still nothing. The light was added about a month ago to them getting about 14 hours of light both in the morning and in the evening total.

No egg eating is present, and I have my son check the field ever so often to see that they aren't being bone heads and laying in the field. Still no signs.

The only thing I can possible come up with at this pint in time, is that they are stressed because too many in the coop. I have gone out and have 9 picked to be processed next week. Several roosters (that were to be high priced pullets) and several older hens that we know haven't been laying much up to the end when everything stopped months ago even before the cold arrived.

They are stressing me! Money going out to feed them and what good are they doing me? Making me crazy!!!

Thinking Chicken and Noodles when I look upon my flock these days...Aggg!

Sometimes it is sooo frustrating to figure these things out. Personally I would wait til spring and see what happens....but I don't have children to feed or much financial repsonsiblity, so I can afford to feed them for a while with no return. BUT the roosters would have been processed before it got cold outside, cuz I process myself and I hate cold hands. Will your birds be able to free range in the spring? That would give them the extra wing room they need to de-stress.

 

[SHRIVERFARMGIRL]

yes the Roos should have been done along time ago, but work was crazy with OT and just didnt have the time to get it done. They are still free ranging even now, unless we get lots of snow then we keep them in. They have a large area to spread their wings during the day, its at night that I wonder if they are too cooped up (*sorta speak) I am looking into growing fodder for them and our rabbits soon and see if that helps any too. Will decrease the flock first and give that some time to sink in, and then start the fodder idea after. Just cant believe they would wait til spring....everyone laid all through the winter last year.

 

[Cass]

yes the Roos should have been done along time ago, but work was crazy with OT and just didnt have the time to get it done. They are still free ranging even now, unless we get lots of snow then we keep them in. They have a large area to spread their wings during the day, its at night that I wonder if they are too cooped up (*sorta speak) I am looking into growing fodder for them and our rabbits soon and see if that helps any too. Will decrease the flock first and give that some time to sink in, and then start the fodder idea after. Just cant believe they would wait til spring....everyone laid all through the winter last year.

Were last year's birds laying going into winter? I think you said that these group hasn't started to lay at all yet, except for one bird. Maybe that is the difference?

 

[SHRIVERFARMGIRL]

Cass, we have 2 groups of Brahmas our one year olds and the early spring ones. I have several 2 yr olds that had slowed way down and are not producing at all now either (they are part that will be processed) Last years new birds started and never quit laying through the winter....this years birds haven't really started (yes I am getting about 2 eggs now every other day from 30 hens). Its a huge celebration when my son comes in from chores and I ask....Eggs? and he shows me an egg or 2!!!! YES! But still a far cry from 2 dozen we should be getting.

 

[Cass]

Cass, we have 2 groups of Brahmas our one year olds and the early spring ones. I have several 2 yr olds that had slowed way down and are not producing at all now either (they are part that will be processed) Last years new birds started and never quit laying through the winter....this years birds haven't really started (yes I am getting about 2 eggs now every other day from 30 hens). Its a huge celebration when my son comes in from chores and I ask....Eggs? and he shows me an egg or 2!!!! YES! But still a far cry from 2 dozen we should be getting.

Yeah, that does stink. I was there a while ago....I had 37 birds and 2 eggs a day, on a good day. Now I have 27 birds (darn hawks/owls/mystery illnesses) and added light for the winter and I am getting 6 - 8 eggs a day. I'm happy with that. I can't eat that many and my "Fresh Eggs" sigh got torn up by the plows so very few customers stop. (not worth putting it back up til spring, cuz it'lll just happen again)

 

[Ysteb]

I am having a problem, have 6 hens [hatched May 2011] they laid great all last winter. I have 4 pullets [hatched May 20012], Am getting 2 or 3 eggs a day, Always have two pullet eggs, ocas. have 3 pullet eggs. Maybe 1 large egg a wk.. They have 12 hrs. of light, the same as last winter. The older hens went thru a molt in Sept., Oct.. The coop is 32 sq. ft. last winter I had 8 hens and 1 large roo.. Now have no roo as I got tired of getting speared.
After reading the posts am wondering if for some reason they should have 14 hrs. of light. The coop has only 1 window so I have a timed light on every day all year. They are out in a run during the day.

 

[NinnyGillaspie]

1-4-13 My hens haven't laid for 2 months. I have a variety of hens from White Leghorns, Production Reds, Rhoide Island Reds, and domineckers. Today 2 of my white girls laid.Maybe things are turning around. They all got mash and fresh hay tonight.

 

[Brandi Leigh]

Great Article!

 

[SHRIVERFARMGIRL]

Update:

Last night when my son did chores, he brought in 4 eggs! We had 3 eggs the past couple days which was great...but now we are gaining on it again!! The roos and old hens get butchered this week, this will give the rest more room to spread their wings too. Still have 20 more to start laying. So thankfully, some are finally getting on the ball!! This has been a strange batch of hens! I dont believe I will be getting them from the same feed mill this year!

 

[hennotrooster]

Hi, I posted my response on the original thread but am going to add it here, as well.

That article is, in my daintily humble opinion, not useful at all.

According to that article, chickens are pretty useless within two years, and they all start laying at 18 to 20 weeks. That goes against virtually every single thing I have ever read about chickens on here and in books. CERTAIN breeds lay early, most start around 25-26 weeks in reality. I have also read NUMEROUS threads from experienced chickenkeeprs on here that have had their hens laying eggs regularly for years and years, not a lousy 18 months as is stated in the article!

Also according to that article, if that info were accurate, when the days shorten, EVERYBODY'S birds should slow down. Buuuuut they do not. Not everyone's birds slow down or stop.

My chickens have met all the criteria required in the article and still no eggs. I think there is something amiss in Mother Nature because there are SO many chickens that were hatched this spring.... an inordinate number of them... that are not producing eggs here as we near the end of the year! And it's not just my part of the country. All you have to do is read the BYC threads to know that there are lots of us doing all the 'RIGHT' things & still not getting any eggs. It's like there's a worldwide chicken egg-laying strike. LOL.

I think that there may have also been something amiss, maybe, in a hatchery & a buncha barren birds might have been produced? I don't know for sure, just saying that something's gotta be amiss somewhere. I have 8-month-old RIR and BR pullets that don't look or act any closer to laying than they did in July. I was concerned maybe they aren't laying because I switched them to layer food at 20 weeks & maybe they need more protein, so I upped their protein and changed their food to grower/flock finisher with free choice oyster shell. They eat the oyster shell and the food, seem to be really healthy and happy birds... just not gonna lay any eggs is all.

I am also in CA that being said my four 6 month old girls lay daily have since the last week of July, the two older girls..one gives 5-7 eggs a week and one stopped in April last year giving 2-3 eggs since then, then last week she dropped an egg 2 days in a row

(so proud of her) the last two will be two years old in May. I just think they will lay when they lay no one gave them the hand book. We do not supply extra light, they free range and get out of their yard at will and wander the rest of the property. People here that have hens are surprised that mine lay in the winter months and that I am not supplying extra light to get them to do so. As one person said they are not vending machines so I will assume that they do what they do when they feel like it. And it is cold here in the high desert, we had snow this morning.