8 month old chickens stopped laying

[crazychixgirl]

I got my 8 chickens as day old chicks back in February and they started laying end of June/early July. Since then they were cranking out eggs like crazy, but within the past week or 2 I am getting 0 to 1 eggs a day! I know this is molting season, but Google says that chickens don’t molt their first year. Is it possible they could just be starting early?

Thanks in advance!

 

[GodLovesU]

How much sunlight are they getting?Sunlight can affect egg production.

 

[aart]

I know this is molting season, but Google says that chickens don’t molt their first year. Is it possible they could just be starting early?

Sometimes birds that age do stop laying as the days shorten,
and sometimes they may also have a partial molt ,usually just around the neck and head.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It’s most likely the daylight. This last week seemed to be the biggest jump at least here. Two weeks ago it was daylight when I was putting my kids on the bus at 7am and starting this week I am having to turn the porch lights on so we can see in the morning. My chickens also started putting themselves away earlier at 7pm this week when two weeks ago at 8pm was when they were putting themselves away. Usually it seems more gradual, but even my husband asked me if it felt like it started getting dark much quicker this past week.

 

[crazychixgirl]

How much sunlight are they getting?Sunlight can affect egg production.

As long as the sun is out. They have an automatic coop door that opens/closes based on sunlight.

 

[crazychixgirl]

Sometimes birds that age do stop laying as the days shorten,
and sometimes they may also have a partial molt ,usually just around the neck and head.

Their plumage still looks normal. They don’t look scraggly or have scarce feathers.

 

[WingItRanch]

Molting is a possibility but do you free range? Maybe they found another hidden place to lay their eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Google says that chickens don’t molt their first year.

And, of course, you believe everything you read on the internet, like the rest of us. You are reading this on the internet so you can obviously believe it.

The main cause of the molt is the days getting shorter in the fall. It's the way they evolved. They can also go through a partial of full molt at any time due to stress. There are several different things that could cause a full or partial molt at any time. The big one is the days getting shorter in the fall but that is not the only one.

Some chickens skip the molt their first fall and don't molt until the days get shorter the next fall. Others do not skip their first fall. I don't know any simpler way to say it.

One reason some people think their chickens have stopped laying is that the chickens are hiding a nest. If they free range it can be very difficult to find these nests. Even in a coop or run some can be very good at hiding a nest.

Something may be getting your eggs. Most critters that take eggs leave signs after eating them, like eggshells or wet spots. Common critters that do not leave evidence in Maryland are snakes, canines, and humans. A snake eats eggs then disappears for two or three days while it digests them before coming back for more. If your egg loss is consistent it is probably not a snake.

A fox or coyote would probably be more interested in your hens than the eggs but does a dog have access? A human does not necessarily mean a stranger.

So what can you do? Lock them in the coop only or coop/run if you can. If you start getting more eggs you either locked out an egg-eating predator or they cannot get to their hidden nest to lay. Or mark a couple of eggs and leave them down there. If they disappear something is getting them.

A lot of the time it is the molt causing this. Are you seeing feathers floating around down there? But the molt is not the only possibility. Good luck. This can be frustrating to figure out.