Why aren't they laying?!

[telehillco]

We've got 4 chickens and not an egg in the last week! September yielded a measly dozen and a half eggs! From 4 chickens! We have no idea if there's something we can do or if they're just "done". Two RIR's are 2 1/2 years old now. One is just starting to molt (a little earlier than last year), but she hasn't laid an egg in probably 2 months. The other drops one every few weeks. The younger pair are a Buff Orpington and a Barred Rock. They are only a year and a half, don't appear to be molting, but aren't laying.

We're trying to make the hard decision of what to do. We'll get some new chicks in the spring, but that means no eggs until July/August. Is it worth keeping these girls through the Colorado winter? Will they lay again? They free-range the yard during the day eating grass, weeds and bugs, have access to layer crumbles all day and have a tray of crushed oyster to pick at when they want. They're well loved with plenty of treats.

How long did your chickens lay?
Is there something we could do to encourage them?


Thanks for any advice!

Hillary

 

[Happy Chooks]

They don't lay while molting. Feathers are mostly protein and they need all their energy to regrow their feathers. They will lay again. And I've had some go through a molt at 9 months, so it's possible your 1 year old hens are molting too, just not as badly as the others.

 

[telehillco]

Thanks for the response. We have gone through the molting cycle so know that they won't lay eggs while molting. However, only one appears to be molting. The others don't. The inconsistent laying started in July and just keeps getting worse.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Have they been wormed? Have you checked for mites/lice?

 

[mrdruids]

chickens lay less as the days get shorter---

full guide


Decreasing day length

Days become shorter beginning
June 22 and begin to lengthen
again on December 22. In Oregon,
day length decreases from nearly
16 hours of light at the beginning
of summer to just over 8 hours at
the beginning of winter. This
change in day length causes hens
to molt and cease egg production,
a process that may take several
months.
Preventing production losses
due to changes in natural day
length requires artificial lighting.
To maintain production, day
length must increase or remain
constant at more than 12 hours per
day; a 14- to 16-hour day is typical.
Light needs to be just bright
enough to read a newspaper, and
the type of bulb does not matter. If
a lighting program is started, it
must be continued. Even a 1-day
lapse can have a negative impact
on egg production. It is best to use
an inexpensive timer to control the
light schedule.