How to get my flock laying agin, or wait for winter to be over?

[amiachicknorwat]

Problems are, they stopped laying before winter set in here in Canada's Rocky Mtns., then a bear came, ripped open the coop sidewall & ate 5 out of 45 of our chickens, so that's gotta traumatize the rest? I heard I could check their vent/cloaca for suppleness then prep the rest for dog food. But I do know we got way more layers than are currently active & i'd like that to be my starting place, thanks.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What breeds and ages are your chickens?
The severe trauma of a predator attack can easily shut them down for about a month.
Days are very short this time of year and still getting shorter, especially in the Canadian Rockies. Decreased day length vis-a-vis dark period is the signal to shut down production in all birds. This is especially true from a chicken's second autumn and beyond. This is usually accompanied by a molt which also makes it hard for them to produce eggs.
Once they have completely recovered from molt, you can add a light to the coop, slowly incrementing light period to about 12 hours and that will usually kick start them. The length of day doesn't matter as much as whether it is increasing or decreasing.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

12 hours of like white light & hot red light from heat lamps? This I ask cuz i suspect the birds need more of the blue -- daylight-signalling -- part of the spectrum more normally, or so i think, found in the usual spot-like lighting than is found from the reddish heat lamps. I can only tell you we have some Barred Rocks, some Leghorns & some Auricanas, but I'm not at home now, so cannot post pix. Thanks also for reminder to slowly increase the hours towards 12. Thanks & Happy Season

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Actually, the most effective light spectrum for signaling light period vs. dark is the red, orange, yellow end which penetrates the skull more than other colors, though you are right in that any full spectrum light works well.
Those red, orange, yellow colors are those most prevalent at dawn and dusk. That gives the birds a true indication of day length.