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

[autumn123]

I have 3 hens. The first one to lay little peach colored eggs right at about 20 weeks is the smallest little white hen, looks to be a cross between Leghorn and some other breed that has leg feathers. First egg was the last week of August and is laying almost every day. The second one, a bigger white EE/Araucana with blue legs, started about a month later in Sept a bit larger olive colored eggs; was a daily producer but stopped altogether 10 days ago. The third, RIR, I figured wouldn't start until spring - but has been giving us big brown eggs for a week every day!

Going by what I have been reading - if you find a reputable breeder and you're not picky about breed, you can get some very productive egg layers. Tell the breeder what you are looking for - I told him the only thing that mattered to me was egg production and good health. While some breeds are supposedly the "best layers" there are always the exceptional individuals. I'm starting to think that a mix breed hen is the best bet! If you are getting chickens for looks to show or as pets, just consider whatever eggs you get as a bonus.

 

[musicalmommy]

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 have the same problem as you no eggs at all. I have americaunas that were hatched the beginning of June

 

[ducks4you]

I didn't bother with reading everything here, so IMHO, I will tell what I know, most of which was learned HERE at BYC, several years ago and has been true.
1) chickens can be stressed and this prevents or delays laying
2) the eggs are there, but the bird must decide to develop them. I often find an egg with a HARD SHELL that was ready to lay, but my bird was on the way to freezer camp, so it didn't happen
3) chickens need enough light every day to lay. I don't have my coop--HOPEFULLY, and don't laugh too hard if you know me here, I WILL have a coop in 2014. Hey, I had to invest >$16K in a new roof for the house in 2013!
But, I do have a barn and my birds are housed for the winter in a 12 x 16 ft. stall WITH a light on a timer. I give them 13 hours of light/day and MY June hatched EE pullets have been laying since Thanksgiving.
4) chickens need enough water to lay their eggs, too. I use a plug in dog watering bowl so they don't have to peck at ice in the winter. I even put ice in it and let it melt for them. If your birds have a water deficiency they will save it for their own bodies first and NOT lay for you.
5) chickens need enough food to lay. UNLESS you are raising Cornish X's, please put out food free choice and keep the food bowl full. Again, the bird will take care of her OWN needs first, before putting energy into laying.
Hope this helps. I kept one hen and practically lived on THIS SITE for 2 years before I moved on to a large flock.

 

[suzychri]

i have raised chickens my entire life. currently i have a two year old flock of wyandottes - beautiful birds, and a couple of older hens. i haven't done anything different, and my coop and pen have been established for 10 years. i have always had eggs during every season - the number might fluctuate, but i ALWAYS get several eggs a week...until august 2013. my chickens stopped laying suddenly, and haven't laid a SINGLE egg since then. not one. i have NO CLUE what the problem is. this has never happened before. i haven't changed their feed (until over the past few months in an attempt to figure out the problem). they have and still get fresh water daily, and wormed every few months. i have always and still continue to clean out their coop every month. they are beautiful chickens - very healthy in appearance, and their behavior is normal.

does anyone have any ideas what the problem can be? i've never in all my years had a problem with illness, parasites or anything else strange. the only thing i've ever had are mice and rat snakes. rat snakes don't bother me as long as my chickens are full grown. however, a few years ago when i had my new baby chicks, i had to kill a couple of snakes living in the coop because they were eating my juvenile birds. i haven't seen any snakes since then - about two years now. and my mice population is increasing a lot, which makes me assume there aren't any snakes out there. can mice cause chickens to stop laying?

i'm so desperate right now to figure out the problem. i love my chickens, but i raise them not just for pleasure, but for egg production as well. and right now, they're not earning their keep!

any ideas???????

 

[Cass]

i have raised chickens my entire life. currently i have a two year old flock of wyandottes - beautiful birds, and a couple of older hens. i haven't done anything different, and my coop and pen have been established for 10 years. i have always had eggs during every season - the number might fluctuate, but i ALWAYS get several eggs a week...until august 2013. my chickens stopped laying suddenly, and haven't laid a SINGLE egg since then. not one. i have NO CLUE what the problem is. this has never happened before. i haven't changed their feed (until over the past few months in an attempt to figure out the problem). they have and still get fresh water daily, and wormed every few months. i have always and still continue to clean out their coop every month. they are beautiful chickens - very healthy in appearance, and their behavior is normal.

does anyone have any ideas what the problem can be? i've never in all my years had a problem with illness, parasites or anything else strange. the only thing i've ever had are mice and rat snakes. rat snakes don't bother me as long as my chickens are full grown. however, a few years ago when i had my new baby chicks, i had to kill a couple of snakes living in the coop because they were eating my juvenile birds. i haven't seen any snakes since then - about two years now. and my mice population is increasing a lot, which makes me assume there aren't any snakes out there. can mice cause chickens to stop laying?

i'm so desperate right now to figure out the problem. i love my chickens, but i raise them not just for pleasure, but for egg production as well. and right now, they're not earning their keep!

any ideas???????

Have you checked for egg shells ? Are the mice eating the eggs? Are they laying somewhere you are not looking? Are they getting enough light? It has been an extra cold winter....is this the first winter they have experienced such terrible cold? Is their water freezing overnight and they don't have it to drink the first thing in the morning when they are extra thirsty? Again, are there pieces of eggs around that might indicate an egg eater? Have you tried increasing their protein? (I use soft cat food, but fish or small pieces of chicken would work)

Mice won't cause them to stop laying, but the stress of having them around the coop might. Snakes shouldn't be around in the winter.....but if your climate is warm enough for snakes, they LOVE eggs.

 

[suzychri]

i am at a loss...i'm going on 6 months now without a single egg. no shells anywhere - not in the nesting boxes, nor when i clean out the shavings on the floor of the coop. nothing out in the pen either. i mean not a single trace of an egg or part of an egg. they get plenty of sun, and when they first stopped laying i thought maybe it was because it was august and so hot...but here we are in january and still not one single egg. i have seven 2.5 year old wyandotte hens, and two hens that i already had when i got this batch. i was getting so many eggs, including from my older hens, that i was feeding them to the dogs just to get rid of them. now i have to buy eggs from the grocery store, and i haven't done that in years!

their water bowl sits on a heater, so no problems with freezing water. they always have fresh water - never have they gone without feed (layer pellets) or water. i'm telling you, i've raised chickens my whole life, and i have never encountered anything like this.

i have changed their feed brand, several times over the past few months, but it's still layer pellets, and no change. i haven't tried increasing their protein...that sounds like my next plan to try and solve this.

thanks for the idea!

 

[Cass]

i am at a loss...i'm going on 6 months now without a single egg. no shells anywhere - not in the nesting boxes, nor when i clean out the shavings on the floor of the coop. nothing out in the pen either. i mean not a single trace of an egg or part of an egg. they get plenty of sun, and when they first stopped laying i thought maybe it was because it was august and so hot...but here we are in january and still not one single egg. i have seven 2.5 year old wyandotte hens, and two hens that i already had when i got this batch. i was getting so many eggs, including from my older hens, that i was feeding them to the dogs just to get rid of them. now i have to buy eggs from the grocery store, and i haven't done that in years!

their water bowl sits on a heater, so no problems with freezing water. they always have fresh water - never have they gone without feed (layer pellets) or water. i'm telling you, i've raised chickens my whole life, and i have never encountered anything like this.

i have changed their feed brand, several times over the past few months, but it's still layer pellets, and no change. i haven't tried increasing their protein...that sounds like my next plan to try and solve this.

thanks for the idea!

There is a way to tell if a hen is laying or not. It has to do with the space between the pelvic bones. Perhaps you can tell if they are laying via that method....try searching in the box on this forum.

I still think that something is eating the eggs. Wait, are you hearing anyone singing the egg song?

Some birds do stop laying at age 2. Mostly production birds....the egg farm near me sends all their layers to Campbell's soup every 2 years and start fresh with new birds. The breed you have isn't known for stoppage of laying after 2 years, but it can (and does) happen.

Funny story, actually.....seeing all the cute yellow chicks growing out at the egg farm started my love of chickens. Knowing that the old layers were going to die (and become soup) made me more determined to have a flock of my own and let them live out their lives, even if they don't lay.

 

[suzychri]

nope, so songs. it's like they're just happy to eat, poop and sleep, without bothering to throw me an egg every now and then!

 

[Cass]

nope, so songs. it's like they're just happy to eat, poop and sleep, without bothering to throw me an egg every now and then!

In that case, give them til the end of April to start again...then OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. And take everyone up on their offers of "free chicks"....cuz you know everyone will hatch way to many chicks this spring. After the winter we've had, Spring fever is going to hit hard and early this year, I'm sure.

 

[suzychri]

that's kinda what i'm thinking! i am gonna try the extra protein idea and see if that makes a difference. if not, i'm gonna haul them up to the local feed store and advertise "free, worthless, no egg laying, hens! get em while the last!"

then i'll order me some auracana/americauan eggs and hatch me some more! thing is, i've always raised auracanas, and wanted to try the blue laced wyandottes because they are so beautiful, and everyone seems to have auracanas now. big mistake...big...HUGE! i have to go shopping now