# Chickens not laying eggs



## checken101

My chickens are not laying there eggs they are almost 1 year old and it winter they were doing good in the summer but about 2 weeks after halloween they stopped i want to put a heating lap out there but i cast so much $ any other thing i could try? Please gelp


----------



## minmin1258

You may not think it's winter but the hens don't know that. The days are shorter and there are less daylight hours. Chickens need 14 hrs if daylight per day to start their laying motors. If it is absolutely necessary for you to have eggs during the shortened hours of late fall into winter, add a timed light into your coop. Give them a couple extra hrs of "artificial" daylight per day. Within a couple weeks they should resume laying. But that too requires patience, it's not an "instant" remedy and it may not even work depends on your chickens. Sometimes they just need that break.


----------



## minmin1258

By the way I'm a newbie but I have read many posts about the topic. If you need more info read other posts.


----------



## checken101

That is good advice but do u know anything that i could try that would not coat that much money?


----------



## minmin1258

Adding a timed light isn't that expensive usually less than $10.00. You can pick up a light timer for about $4 at a hardware store, then pick up a hanging utility light cord. You can get those at the Hardware store also, just ask the clerks or a worker to help u pick it out. By sure your light is totally secured and well hung so it won't fall and cause a fire.


----------



## Jim

I use an old set of clear rope lights. Low cost, were easy to weave in and out the wire, and safe. Then added an outdoor timer. They are easy to find this time of year in the Christmas light section.


----------



## minmin1258

Greasy ideas Jim.


----------



## laxbro

this same thing happened to my chickens and there also like a year old. i went to tractor supply and talked to a lady that worked there. she told me to buy this stress stuff that you mix in with there water. this worked with mine because they were stressed because the change of weather and we also recently got rid of our alpha hen. your chickens could be stressed about the changing weather.


----------



## minmin1258

Holy cow!!! Greasy idea???? Where did that come from...oh I know...AUTO CORRECT! Wish I knew how t disable it! THAT IS A GREAT IDEA JIM..don't know if it was greasy or not guess it depends on if you were doing mechanic work before hanging the lights. Lol


----------



## Jim

minmin1258 said:


> Holy cow!!! Greasy idea???? Where did that come from...oh I know...AUTO CORRECT! Wish I knew how t disable it! THAT IS A GREAT IDEA JIM..don't know if it was greasy or not guess it depends on if you were doing mechanic work before hanging the lights. Lol


lol, kinda figured, I read auto-correct quiet well


----------



## minmin1258

Hey y'all one of my teenagers layed her first egg today! Yippee!


----------



## hildar

I have got 5 young hens that should start laying soon for me. I sure can not wait to see that happen. They seem to be interested in seeing what the older girls are doing and the eggs, they see fascinate them. My older girls are still laying just not as much. I have one that hasn't laid now for about a week, but she keeps looking at the nesting box, and then she looks at me like she knows she is suppose to do it, but can't. The other 2 are laying 1 egg each every 2 to 3 days. I don't mind as long as I have enough to bake with every so often.

Give your hens a few weeks break. Domino stopped laying for about 2 months after her sister passed away and now she is laying once every 2 days. The worst part is I almost culled her after a month of no eggs. Glad I didn't do it now.


----------



## chickenlil

My chickens were old enough to start laying in early December but haven't laid yet. I am in Massachusetts. I know the shorter hours of daylight cause laying hens to slow their laying. Does it also delay when young hens begin to lay? I was really hoping to avoid outside lights because I'm afraid of starting a fire.


----------



## hildar

Well one of my little girls started laying yesterday. I still do not know which one but it was tiny and wasn't the same color as my RIR eggs. However it was so fragile it was pitiful. I almost cracked it just picking it up.


----------



## hollidaychicinn

*Chickens loosing feathers*

Why would my chickens loose feathers in cold weather? One started and about the time she was almost through another one has started. Does anyone know what could be causing this. They are about a year and a half, and have been healthy and happy so far. 
Thanks for any ideas and help you all have.


----------



## TNchick

*probably just molting*

Hi, my birds started dropping feathers like crazy about 6 weeks ago, they also stopped laying eggs at the same time. The birds lose their normal feathers and grow in heavier warmer feathers to suit up for cold weather. I added a light to the coop to extend artificial daylight, added some meal worms for treats to their normal layer pellet diet, and after about a month, they began to lay again. The feather situation is different for different birds. Some lose so many feathers they look poorly for a while, others like mine, just dropped tons of feathers but never looked that different.


----------



## minmin1258

They are probably in molt. It's normal for them to do this at least once a year. If you want to help them get through it just a little faster add a few high protein treats daily. It will help them form the new feathers faster. Try to avoid picking them up while they are growing their new feathers in because I have heard/read the "quill" stage is or can be a painful time for them.


----------



## minmin1258

ok now...*tapping foot impatiently* (talking to the chickens) there are 18 of you out here, there are only 14 eggs...who is being the lazy ones? Huh? Lol


----------



## Speedy92362

minmin1258 said:


> View attachment 14273
> ok now...*tapping foot impatiently* (talking to the chickens) there are 18 of you out here, there are only 14 eggs...who is being the lazy ones? Huh? Lol


That's too funny. I was out in the coop asking the same question yesterday, lol.


----------



## Olof

I wish I was getting that many eggs. I get 1 every 2 days and I have 5 chickens that are of laying age. Only my cream legbar and ameraucana are laying at the moment.


----------



## minmin1258

I guess I bought new pullets at the right time. They seem to have a contest to see who can lay first. Lol they usually lay before noon.


----------



## powderhogg01

My ladies quit laying in November. Have not see a single egg since then. I got a light installed, hoping to see results soon.


----------



## minmin1258

Seems like my girls lay more the day after I throw out some oyster shells. I put some out for them in a bowl but they don't touch it. If I throw it out with their scratch grains they go crazy for it.


----------



## powderhogg01

It's freezing cold, always dark and windy where I live. I fixed the wind, and just have to get them adjusted to the light and they a should lay again. 
Even a few eggs a day would be great


----------



## minmin1258

powderhogg01 said:


> It's freezing cold, always dark and windy where I live. I fixed the wind, and just have to get them adjusted to the light and they a should lay again.
> Even a few eggs a day would be great


Where are you from? Peeked at your info on here but doesn't say where you live.


----------



## powderhogg01

I live well over 9000 feet in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. A living ghost town, nestled just east of the continental divide.


----------



## minmin1258

You live in my dream state! Colorado was the most beautiful state that I drove through in my career as a truck driver. I visited there with friends for a week and that's all it took! I'm hooked! If I could afford it I might be your neighbor. Lol


----------



## nj2wv

I lost count of how many hens I have. I am guessing it's around sixty. I collected nineteen today so I am sure I am missing some. Mine free range and they lay next to the water heater , under the trailer in four different areas , in an old dog house and on the porch. I am sure I would find more if I looked harder lol.


----------



## minmin1258

If I got 19 eggs Id have to really question the fertility of the eggs in my bator! Because that would mean Redman had to lay an egg ROFLMBO!!!


----------



## kessy09

minmin1258 said:


> If I got 19 eggs Id have to really question the fertility of the eggs in my bator! Because that would mean Redman had to lay an egg ROFLMBO!!!


New layers will sometimes lay twice a day. I only have one olive egger and she laid two perfect eggs yesterday. There's no way either were from the day before as I got them both before they froze, which only takes about 35 minutes.


----------



## Olof

My Austrolorp started squatting for me again so I look forward to seeing big brown eggs again. I am getting blue and olive eggs at the moment.


----------



## hildar

All of mine are now laying I can't believe how many eggs I am getting daily lately. Seems good to be getting that many eggs again after a few months of 1 egg a day.


----------



## Olof

That's nice! I look forward to that. 5 hens and I only get about 4 eggs a week at the moment.


----------



## minmin1258

This is a daily take of eggs from 17 hens:


----------



## LittleWings

minmin1258 said:


> View attachment 14273
> ok now...*tapping foot impatiently* (talking to the chickens) there are 18 of you out here, there are only 14 eggs...who is being the lazy ones? Huh? Lol


 Very nice minmin, I'm getting about 10 eggs a day from 18 hens.


----------



## minmin1258

LittleWings said:


> Very nice minmin, I'm getting about 10 eggs a day from 18 hens.


Only got 5 eggs today. In below zero temps. Poor babies are cold!


----------



## powderhogg01

First egg of the spring yesterday. Stoked


----------



## kessy09

Two days of collecting from 20 hens


----------



## LittleWings

kessy09 said:


> Two days of collecting from 20 hens
> View attachment 14482


Those are nice eggs Kessy! I love the olive green ones.


----------



## Olof

Omg I'm jealous of all of those colors.


----------



## Olof

What breeds do you have for those colors and do you ship hatching eggs?


----------



## kessy09

LittleWings said:


> Those are nice eggs Kessy! I love the olive green ones.


Why thank you! They are from my Olive Eggers. Will be breeding them to my splash blue isbars for hopefully darker and greener eggs and some splash bearded chicks.


----------



## kessy09

Olof said:


> What breeds do you have for those colors and do you ship hatching eggs?


 thanks! The eggs in the top carton are all from Salmon Favorelles. The bottom carton has eggs from Olive Eggers (Black Copper Marans crossed with Ameracauna), Black Copper Marans, and Coronation Sussex. I think there might be a Wyandotte egg in there too but I'm not 100% sure they've started laying yet. I do sell hatching eggs and ship them however I'm in Canada. To ship over the border after paying import fees and vet inspections will end up costing close to $40/egg so really not too worth it unless you're after very, very rare breeds. I'm bringing in a second line to my Blue Isbars and Swedish Flower Hens from Oklahoma and it's costing an arm and a leg!


----------



## LittleWings

Kessy, what color are your Ameraucana?


----------



## kessy09

LittleWings said:


> Kessy, what color are your Ameraucana?


I have blue and black Ameracauna.


----------



## LittleWings

kessy09 said:


> I have blue and black Ameracauna.


Thanks. I was just wondering. I have Black and Lavender.


----------



## Olof

Haha I'm in Oklahoma.


----------



## leviparker

Fellow Oklahoman!!


----------



## kessy09

Hey! Since you're in Oklahoma maybe you have heard of the breeder I'm using. Chicken Fanatics is the name of the farm. They're in Coweta. Been trying to find an accredited vet near there to do an inspection of the parent flocks but no one is comfortable with chickens :/


----------



## Olof

Yeah not very many vets are comfortable with chickens. I can ask around for you though.


----------



## Olof

It might just be cheaper to drive down and take the eggs back yourself though.


----------



## Gd4sumthn

I have a heat light out there all winter. And a regular bulb all summer and our bill isn't that much different at all. But even with the lights, I had fourteen chickens and in the winter I was getting one or two eggs a day until the temps came back up to thirty. You can also give them some extra protein. I have mine some cat food in with their feed and immediately started getting a few more eggs.


Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


----------

