Hens not laying

[Joyflower]

Hello, this is our second year of having chickens. Got 5 last year in the spring and they have been laying for a year now. Then this spring we got 6 more who haven't started laying yet.
Curious though, from the original 5 - one of my Buff orpingtons (we have 2) stopped laying about a month ago, behaves and eats normally. I have two California Whites and one lost a bunch of feathers (molting?) Wasn't laying then started laying tiny eggs again. But now both my whites are not laying eggs (over this past week). Again, everyone looks/behaves/eats/drinks/poops normally... so should we be worried? Are they done laying for good? How long (other than over the winter) do hens go without laying?
Thank you in advance for any insight!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens evolved to lay eggs and raise chicks in the good weather months, then molt to refresh their feathers to prepare for colder months when days started getting shorter and there would be less food to raise chicks. We've domesticated them so there have been some changes in them going broody and how many eggs they lay but they still hold to that basic pattern of molting and preparing or winter when the days get shorter unless you manipulate lights to keep the days from getting shorter.

Some pullets start laying in the fall and skip the molt their first winter. Some don't. Practically all hens will stop laying and molt each fall after that first. Then when they finish that molt they start laying again very well.

After the following molt the average number of eggs the flock lays will drop, often by maybe 15% to 20%. Some individuals will do much better than this, some worse, but the overall average drops. It gets worse after each molt after that.

Do not get rid of your flock because of their first molt. If you do you will miss out on a lot pf very nice eggs.

 

[Joyflower]

Chickens evolved to lay eggs and raise chicks in the good weather months, then molt to refresh their feathers to prepare for colder months when days started getting shorter and there would be less food to raise chicks. We've domesticated them so there have been some changes in them going broody and how many eggs they lay but they still hold to that basic pattern of molting and preparing or winter when the days get shorter unless you manipulate lights to keep the days from getting shorter.

Some pullets start laying in the fall and skip the molt their first winter. Some don't. Practically all hens will stop laying and molt each fall after that first. Then when they finish that molt they start laying again very well.

After the following molt the average number of eggs the flock lays will drop, often by maybe 15% to 20%. Some individuals will do much better than this, some worse, but the overall average drops. It gets worse after each molt after that.

Do not get rid of your flock because of their first molt. If you do you will miss out on a lot pf very nice eggs.

Thank you, this was helpful! Just wanted to make sure they were okay, we are still learning so was not sure it was normal for a hen to stop laying for a month and it not be winter

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

Thank you, this was helpful! Just wanted to make sure they were okay, we are still learning so was not sure it was normal for a hen to stop laying for a month and it not be winter

Did your chickens ever start laying again? Because I have a situation where I have three Brahmas that are three years old. they haven’t laid anything since they went through their molt back in June and now it is October. I increased the layer feed from a 16% to a 20% a month ago upon reading that that’s the recommendation. They have plenty of opportunity to free range also. I supplement with chicken scratch that’s mostly corn just as about a 10% of their diet. They do eat that first they love that. Eventually, they eat the 20% layer pellets. I thought increasing the protein was supposed to increase production. Any advice?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Did your chickens ever start laying again? Because I have a situation where I have three Brahmas that are three years old. they haven’t laid anything since they went through their molt back in June and now it is October. I increased the layer feed from a 16% to a 20% a month ago upon reading that that’s the recommendation. They have plenty of opportunity to free range also. I supplement with chicken scratch that’s mostly corn just as about a 10% of their diet. They do eat that first they love that. Eventually, they eat the 20% layer pellets. I thought increasing the protein was supposed to increase production. Any advice?

Protein might keep them in good condition but it's not a magic bullet to make them lay more.

The main trigger for laying is light. 3-year-olds are already starting to decline in laying and with daylight hours waning, even if they molted early they aren't likely to lay again until after winter solstice.

 

[aart]

they went through their molt back in June

Not sure why a chicken would molt in June?

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

Not sure why a chicken would molt in June?

Likewise I thought it was odd

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

Not sure why a chicken would molt in June?

Yes, I was surprised about that myself. They seem perfectly healthy and they still have not started laying again though. Even though I increased the protein to 20% and they have plenty of space to freely Rome and I have a light on in the chicken house throughout the day.