Hen not laying....

[Bdbutton]

I have 2 hens, one started laying about a month ago and has laid pretty consistently every day and sometimes every other day. She has not laid an egg now for 4 days. Any ideas?

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

I have 2 hens, one started laying about a month ago and has laid pretty consistently every day and sometimes every other day. She has not laid an egg now for 4 days. Any ideas?

Weather transitions can be a culprit. Sometimes stress or changes in the floor can cause it too. It happens when they are sick, but if she seems healthy, I would not immediately assume that. Sometimes I even have a hen that goes off laying for no good reason at all.

 

[Bdbutton]

She seems perfectly healthy! My first thought was the weather, I guess time will tell.

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

She seems perfectly healthy! My first thought was the weather, I guess time will tell.

Once the cold weather kicked in, my egg production went from 9 a day to 1.

 

[Bdbutton]

Oh no! Is it because of the cold or the shortened daylight?

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Possibly a mixture of both, but I'd say the cold is the main contributors.

 

[Bdbutton]

Possibly a mixture of both, but I'd say the cold is the main contributors.

Thank you so much for your reply!

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Thank you so much for your reply!

Of course! I'm always happy to help!

 

[aart]

Possibly a mixture of both, but I'd say the cold is the main contributors.

A sudden and drastic drop in temp may affect laying until they acclimate,
but shortening daylight hours is the main factor.
They need 12-16 hours of light to stimulate the pineal gland to trigger egg production.
Some pullets(females under a year old) may lay thru their first winter but at a reduced rate. Hens around 18 months old(give or take a month or two) will stop laying and molt in their second fall/winter.

 

[EggWalrus]

Like @aart said, it's more than likely the lack of light. Mine just about quit till I started giving them supplemental light in the mornings. Now they are laying strong again.