Why have the brown eggers stopped laying?

[tthompson]

I am new to chickens and their laying habits. Our little flock started laying in August. I have six hens, and up until two weeks ago I was getting 4-6 eggs a day. Now, I get 2, 1 or 0 a day. It's funny. I have four who lay various shades of brown, one who lays a pinkish/purplish egg, and one who lays a green. The brown egg layers have totally stopped laying. I still get the pinkish and the green egg almost every day. I've heard it may be the cold weather, but it's not that cold where I live. It could also be that they're molting, but why only the brown egg layers?

Breeds? Here's what I THINK I have:
1 Rhode Island Red
2 Gold Sex (isn't that a mix of some kind?)
1 labeled as a New Hampshire (but she's brown and speckled and I don't think she was labeled right)
2 black - The black chicks were placed in the same section called Americauna and Astrolorp. They are both colored the same, but one has a funny rump, but with a tail pointing down. The other is just shaped like a common hen.

My husband is sure the speckled "New Hampshire" is laying the green egg. I haven't a clue who lays the pink one. If I ever find out for sure what I have, when it comes time to replace hens, I'll replace them with the pink/green layers.

Any questions/comments? I guess I just wanted to tell my egg story. Thanks.

 

[XilverAngel]

i dont know why ur brown eggers arnt laying but if ur husband says that the "New Hampshire" is the one laying the green egg, pretty sure that its not a New Hampshire, its probably an Americauna or Easter Egger. Never heard of a New Hampshire laying green eggs before...

 

[Davis5454]

Mine have slowed down too....I went from 12~18 per day down to 8~10.

Less daylight can do it. Shorter days will slow them down and increasing the amount of light (artificially) can help.

I've also noticed when there is a big temperature change that the same happens for a short time. Especially in the heat...they just quit till it cools down below 90 or so degrees.

This will be our first winter with chickens....so we'll learn together.

 

[Davis5454]

PS - my Buff Orphs seem to be more impacted than my Austrolorps. I didn't figure they would be quite as finicky as they are....good birds.....but not as steady as the Lorps.

 

[sillyaboutchickens]

Are they moulting? We supplement with just a few hours of artificial light (a light on a timer in the coop). Our Austrolorp and EE have been laying regularly.