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

[speckledhen]

The article wasn't meant to diagnose every case that could possibly arise, just inform of the usual and most common reasons for cessation of laying. No one on an internet forum can tell you for 100% certain why a particular chicken has stopped laying.

 

[flocksalot]

Quote:
Okay.....So have you tried going back to the previous feed? Some girls don't like change. At All. Is she molting? Has it been extremely hot where you are at? Is she broody? Have you checked for mites and lice? I'm extremely vigilant with care, yet I found a lice egg on one of my roos. If one has it they all have it even when they may be in another coop. Blame the wild birds I say. Well really yeah they are to blame. If none of those are possible then is she walking back and forth carrying a picket sign that reads something like "No Eggs til we get our Old Food!" Just saying. Your first instincts may be on the mark and it's always worth a shot. Either that or you can try the oft suggested Soup Pot and ladel singing "Hear chicky chick chick." Just don't do it to loudly or my hungry hoard will come a runnin.

 

[3cravns]

I should have come here sooner...although even after reading through the 20+ pages of threads I still don't know why mine aren't laying!! I have 12 hens and no rooster. They were hatched May of 2010. We began getting eggs last September and got anywhere from 10 -12 eggs all winter with very few days less than 10. Dare I say we almost had too many eggs??? I would give nearly anything for an egg now. We haven't had an egg from our girls in nearly 2 months. I have assumed they are going through a molt as we have several with bare heads, necks and sparse feathers in other places but some of them don't look as though they have lost a single feather yet even from them no eggs. I have changed food a time or two over the summer and began feeding Layena Meatbird as it has the highest protein count I could find. We offer oyster shells free choice year round. I had been buying layer mash from our local feed store but they grind it too fine and the girls don't seem to like it. We let them free range most days nearly all day and just shut them in at night. We have always done it that way and they always went into the coop to lay when they were laying so I don't think they are laying in the yard. I've never come across an egg while out and about in the yard. How would I know if they have lice or mites? I have looked them over a time or two but haven't seen anything that looks like a bug. Guess I'll just keep up the pep talks and hope for eggs soon. Seems like they were off on the timing for a molt since it seemed to start back in May when the days were getting longer.

 

[Chanee]

Thank you! My girls are three years old so I believe they have laid all the eggs they can!

I can just enjoy watching them now!

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Oh, no they haven't! I have many hens ages 3-6 who are still laying. Some of the sex links burn out faster than the heritage types, yes, but they don't just stop laying when they turn 3. Someone on BYC had a 17 year old hen who still occasionally pumped out an egg.

 

[Chanee]

17 years old??!!! Really!! Humm Well then.. I only have two hens can't remember the breeds (one is a sexlinked something...) Anyway I do free range them almost daily. Right before they stopped laying completely the little buggers laid a bout 7 eggs under a bush. I found them and discarded them (it had been around 100 degrees during the day during this time). I think I got maybe one or two eggs after that then nothing. I thought the heat may have bothered them but I have never wormed them. I do offer them grit and oyster shell and feed them Layena pellets (they love that). I have also lengthed their day light with a light in their coop during the winter but hadn't started doing that yet (usually wait until it is chillier-we live in SC) . So I may try worming them. Can you buy the livestock deworming stuff mentioned earlier at a Farmer's Exchange? I'll have to check it out. I had to buy eggs a week ago. Hated that!
Thanks!! I love these chickens. They are so fun to watch!

 

[Of Legal Eggs]

I recently integrated 3 Lavendar Ameraucanas into my flock, when they were segregated from their former flock and not yet integrated into mine, they laid 3 eggs total over a two week period. Then I had them penned segregated for another 2 weeks and got none. I then integrated them into our flock and about two weeks in I got 1 egg on two consecutive days. Since then (it's been a month+) we've gotten absolutely nothing

. I was told the birds are 1.5 yrs old and they come from a reputable breeder and BYC member so I am sure this is fact. I just got so excited when I got those two eggs and now I'm so confused

as to why they're not laying, they are eating and loving their food and seem to be in their element free ranging and spending time around the rest of the flock. It took them no time to establish themselves within the pecking order.

Maybe I'm selfish but I'd sure like some more of those aqua eggs.

 

[joypeters]

it's possible that if they free range, they are laying where you can't find them? just found a week's worth of eggs under a tomato plant!

 

[SteveBaz]

make this a STICKY at the top of the page great article

 

[BillinNM]

Well, I for one am glad to read that my chickens aren't just "defective". When I got them (these are my first chickens), I was told that they were about 18 weeks old, and should start laying in about 3 weeks. It's now been about 8 weeks, and still not a single egg. I came on here to ask about my defective chickens, but came across this sticky before asking. Thanks for making me feel better about my girls.
Bill