"Vacation" from Egg Laying??

[rwgrout]

Hi all - here's the short version of a long story

A couple years ago I started my "flock" by getting a couple of chickens from someone who was moving and needed to get rid of theirs. I am now the proud owner of 2 beautiful Barred Rocks. Last Fall we were getting an egg a day and then this past winter we were getting about 2-3 eggs a week. I assumed one of our little ladies had stopped laying as the eggs we were getting all looked the same. There are only 2 of us so I was OK with only have 1 producing hen. I knew when Spring rolled around I would start getting an egg a day. Even though we eat a lot of eggs but I'd live with 1 a day until we got a couple more girls. Back around the end of March early April, no more eggs

However - I did notice lots of feathers an a bit of a naked neck on one of my girls so I figured "Oh, you must be the one who is still laying" April - No eggs, May - No eggs, June, No eggs.

Well, we started with someone else's birds and we had no idea how old they were so I figured they both were "done". SO after we came back from our summer vacation (July 13 - Still no eggs) so we ordered a couple of new hens.

Today is August 1. As of today we have gotten 5 fresh, brand spanking newly laid eggs!!!!!

NO we have not gotten our new little hens - SOMEONE has started laying again. Has anyone heard of that? After 4 months of not laying??? Just curious…….

 

[Happy Chooks]

It sounds like they were molting and have started up again. Where are you located?

 

[rwgrout]

NH - WOW - I didn't realize they took that long to molt. It wasn't a bad molt and the one that had a little naked neck has looked good for weeks now.

Thanks

 

[Happy Chooks]

A molt can take several months before they start laying again. That is definitely an odd time of year for them to molt. Was there a predator attack, or something that could have freaked them out? Did you check for lice/mites?

 

[rwgrout]

Yes - I did check for all parasites. We did have to get a huge dead tree cut down right next to their coop but that wasn't done until June - well after they had already stopped laying.

I obviously still have a lot to learn about these fun little girls. This site has always been a great help. Thank you so much!