15 hens, 6 mo to 5 years all stopped laying

[mikic]

Big enough with places to hide eggs?


Rats.

So the olders started laying again after molting in Aug-Sept....then stopped again?

Do they all have pale combs and tight pelvic points?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

What all and how exactly do you feed..any changes in that??
Is feed fresh, mfg date within a couple few months?

Just some thoughts.

again, we're not new, our coop is well ventilated with large windows and vents, built on the edge of a hill facing prevailing breeze. Our flock has been laying consistently for 10+ years until now. Feed non-GMO, non-soy layer pellets, and, with this many birds, it always stays fresh as we buy frequently from our local feed store, we are not buying from any big box stores that might have old inventory. Only noticed one pale comb this week. Thanks for the info on pelvic points, very interested and worthwhile to know, but right now no reason to do butt inspections, because nobody is laying.
We have booths at several farmer's markets and we're now hearing similar stories from others who keep chickens. I'm now blaming it on all these chem trails and numerous recent UFO sightings in our area. Just can't figure out any other contributing factors.

 

[mikic]

I also think they might be eating the eggs. Good luck.

eating eggs would leave damaged egg shells, which there are none.

 

[mikic]

All sounds a bit odd! Can you hook a camera up to find out what is going on?

wondering what you think might be "going on" that we could catch on camera. Their coop and run is 40' from my bedroom window. If anything were going on, I'd know it when it happens. I hear them laying, haven't heard that sound in a long while now.

 

[aart]

Thanks for the info on pelvic points, very interested and worthwhile to know, but right now no reason to do butt inspections, because nobody is laying.

Inspections just confirm whether they are laying or not. Butt, you're sure they're not, so <shrugs>

I'm now blaming it on all these chem trails and numerous recent UFO sightings in our area.

There ya go!!

 

[ShannonR]

eating eggs would leave damaged egg shells, which there are none.

Not necessarily. I had some Marans who took to eating eggs, and it took me months to figure out what was happening because every trace of the eggs were just gone. I finally caught one in the act and eventually culled them from the flock. Their new owner couldn't break the habit even with roll away nest boxes!

 

[Angela Thomson]

again, we're not new, our coop is well ventilated with large windows and vents, built on the edge of a hill facing prevailing breeze. Our flock has been laying consistently for 10+ years until now. Feed non-GMO, non-soy layer pellets, and, with this many birds, it always stays fresh as we buy frequently from our local feed store, we are not buying from any big box stores that might have old inventory. Only noticed one pale comb this week. Thanks for the info on pelvic points, very interested and worthwhile to know, but right now no reason to do butt inspections, because nobody is laying.
We have booths at several farmer's markets and we're now hearing similar stories from others who keep chickens. I'm now blaming it on all these chem trails and numerous recent UFO sightings in our area. Just can't figure out any other contributing factors.

UFO's would definitely cause them to quit laying.

 

[PouleChick]

and numerous recent UFO sightings in our area

Wow really?? - where are you?

wondering what you think might be "going on" that we could catch on camera.

I was just trying to help - thought if there was a sneaky predator like snake or rat or they were eating that if you put a camera out it would let you potentially get to the bottom of it.

 

[Aceoky]

yes, we've experienced aging and molting breaks in our flock over the last 10+ years, but never the entire flock taking an extended sabbatical, without one single egg in 4 weeks. Especially when we have 6 pullets that have just entered peak production age (6-9 mo). And we have 6 more ages 2-4 yrs that should be laying. No changes or unusual stress, they made it through the hot Austin summer and this didn't start until temps were cooler in late Sept, and past their molting period. Like I said, dropped to 2-3 eggs/day for a couple of weeks. We were out of town for the next two weeks and when we returned our house sitter had only collected 2 eggs the first week that we were gone, none the second week. None since.

My suspicion is the "sitter" didn't do something (perhaps water regularly) - IF they ran out of water even for one day this can (and usually will) happen.

 

[ShannonR]

My suspicion is the "sitter" didn't do something (perhaps water regularly) - IF they ran out of water even for one day this can (and usually will) happen.

This!! How long did you leave the birds with the sitter?