Why arn't my chickens laying

[ilovehorses]

Hello,
I have 7 chickens and they lay fine in the warmer seasons but, in winter they don't seem to lay. For the past two weeks they haven't been laying. We thought it was the cold weather so we added a light that gives off some heat and it extends light in the day. That didn't seem to help. Are chickens are also molting so I don't know if that has something to do with it. We have a coop with a gaited fence so there is no other place for them to lay. I don't know what to do.

Thanks

 

[sumi]

The combination of shorter days and molting will stop their laying, yes. It's a natural cycle and it's good for the hens to take a break from laying over winter. Molting and then regrowing new feathers takes a lot out of a hen and she'll need extra protein during this period. You can help them by feeding high protein snacks like mealworms and scrambled eggs.