No eggs in 3 months.

[The cheek coop]

Our ladies haven’t laid an egg since October. We did have one random egg about 3 weeks ago but it was in the middle of the run not in the nesting box.
We have changed feed a few times and they have access to clean water.
We have 4 of laying age and 4 pullets that should start laying any time.
I’m at my wits end!
Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[nuthatched]

It's normal. Chickens need 14 hours of daylight to trigger the laying hormone. If you're in the northern hemisphere, that will be about the end of February/beginning of march.

 

[The cheek coop]

I understand that less daylight can slow production but can it cause it to completely stop?

It's normal. Chickens need 14 hours of daylight to trigger the laying hormone. If you're in the northern hemisphere, that will be about the end of February/beginning of march.

 

[nuthatched]

I understand that less daylight can slow production but can it cause it to completely stop?

Absolutely. Some birds lay through the winter so that's why some say egg count reduction.

 

[The cheek coop]

1 leghorn 1.5 years
2 Americanas 3+ years
2 brahmas 10 months
1 Americana 8 months
1 cream legbar 1 year
1 barred rock 6 months
@nuthatched

 

[nuthatched]

1 leghorn 1.5 years
2 Americanas 3+ years
2 brahmas 10 months
1 Americana 8 months
1 cream legbar 1 year
1 barred rock 6 months
@nuthatched

Still normal. Sometimes if pullets start before it's less daylight, they'll lay through winter but not always. Only 1 out of 4 pullets of mine did.

 

[avjudge]

It's normal. Chickens need 14 hours of daylight to trigger the laying hormone. If you're in the northern hemisphere, that will be about the end of February/beginning of march.

I checked my records and day length when most of my hens stopped and resumed was right around 11 hours. Maybe add a little for twilight.

Late February/early March cannot have 14 hours light as the equinox on or around March 21 has by definition 12 hours of sunlight, and dawn/twilight does not add 2 hours (or it would actually have to be more since early March has less than 12 hours of sun).

The above in the northern hemisphere, of course.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It doesn't take 14 hrs of sunlight as some people live much further from the equator than others, yet still have birds resume laying in early spring. It's the increase in sunlight overall that triggers laying.

When it comes to pullets it seems that breed plus when they first come into lay affects whether they continue laying through winter or not. This past spring I got chicks earlier than usual (Mar) and 3 of 4 have stopped laying and molted. In the past I usually added chicks in May, which instead delayed onset of laying but once they started the vast majority did continue to lay from that point on until adult molt the next year.