Wondering about my chickens and the lack of eggs

[oregonkat]

I am now down to 3 hens

thanks to a fox. My hens have not laid in about a month now and I have several questions.

We live in S. Oregon at about 3000 ft and the temps have indeed dropped into the upper teens on occasion this winter. I do not supplement their heat with lamps mainly because we are off grid with solar power and gen. back up and my husband doesnt want to use the power. Some other chicken folks had said that adding heat lamps is actually not so good for them, but I have NO eggs. Have my hens had the eggs scared out of them by the fox attacks? Is the temp issue why there are no eggs? Would just a regular light bulb in the coop help this situation? Please advise. Any info is appreciated.

 

[kellysmall87]

Hi, lack of heat can reduce or stop egg laying depending on how cold it is, so it could be that. If you're going to add a heat source, choose a red 60watt bulb (depending on how big your coop is, you may need a couple.) Im down to -1c here and mine are still laying without a heat source.
If they are moulting, this can stop egg laying and also if they have had a fox scare then they could be stressed. Chickens only lay where they are comfortable. Hope that helps?X

 

[oregonkat]

Hi there, nice to hear from you again. Does the addition of a heat lamp affect the chickens in a negative way? I was reading somewhere that it perhaps interferes with their natural cycles of egg laying and molting etc. One of my remaining hens, a black australorp, is in mid molt, poor thing, in the middle of winter. Her sister australorp finished molting about 2 months ago and my Plymouth rock also finished about 2 months ago so I am hopeful for an egg or two out of these two hens. I have nine chicks on order for delivery Feb 25th. 3 Light Brahmas, 3 Americana, 3 Buffs. I had wanted to find Chanteclers but I can only order them in 25's which is far too many for me. I had thought of putting the chicks up for sale but it is so hard to tell if they are going to good homes. Anyway, any thoughts?

 

[Curly Beard]

One of the ways het in a coup can be harmfull is that it makes it hard to regulate their temperature gooing from a warm coop to a cold yard , more than likely the molt combined with low light and stress from the fox have them off their game . It has been my experience that the best way to get them laying is to go buy a dozen eggs ......ROFL .... life seems to work out that way more often than not

 

[oregonkat]

That's funny you should say that as I was just out with the girls and some eggs that I got from my neighbor showing them what they had 'obviously forgotten about'. I am trying a trick that my mother used to swear by. I'm putting a stone egg in the nesting box to see if that will bring on any ideas. Ever hopeful..... I think I will hold off on putting any light in the box until they calm down.