I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the rumor that certain feed has been intentionally messed with causing backyard flocks to stop laying.
Seven (7) natural reasons backyard chickens aren't laying:
1) Daylight Hours – Chickens require 14 – 16 hrs of daylight to lay eggs. If that number falls below 14 chickens will decrease &/or stop laying all together. Commercial produces keep lights on in their laying houses for 14-16 hrs to ensure uninterrupted laying. Most people with backyard flocks don’t do this. You can add a light to your coop, on a timer, so your ladies will continue to lay, however, you should start adding the light in August. If you wait too long, adding that additional “daylight” may not help.
There are some cons to this: 1) the cost to operate the lights especially if you don’t have it to go on and off in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Running the light for 14 hrs can add to your power bill. 2) you need to be able to get a power supply to your coop. 3) There is an increase risk of cobwebs, or dust, catching fire and destroying the coop with your chickens inside.
We choose to let nature run its course and don’t add any supplemental light.
2) Weather – Chickens perform their best between 52 & 79º F. Extreme heat and cold can stress out chickens causing them to stop laying. This winter has seen extremes through-out the country. Add the hinky weather to not enough daylight hours and it’s no wonder chickens have stopped laying.
3) Age of the Chicken – Chickens will produce eggs for about 3-4 years BUT the first year of a chicken’s laying is always the best. After the 1st year production decreases, not just the number of eggs. This is why it’s recommended to add/replace your chickens every 2-3 years, so you get a consistent amount of eggs. What do you do with the chicken that isn’t producing? We either sell them as stew hens or we’ll butcher them ourselves to use.
4) Molting – Chickens go through this stage every year. During this time, you can guarantee you will not get any eggs from a chicken that is molting. They are putting all their energy into replacing the feathers they’ve lost. Fall tends to be the typical time for molting but this also depends on when the bird began laying.
5) Breed of the Chicken – Not all chickens are created equal. Each breed has a range of eggs they’ll lay in a year. For instance, the Lakenvelder Chicken will lay about 150 eggs per year whereas the Cinnamon Queen can lay between 200 – 320 per year.
6) Feed/Protein – The recommended amount of protein for a laying hen is between 16-18%. If the chicken isn’t getting enough feed, or protein, in their diet it will affect how well they produce. Most backyard flocks free range and are able to eat bugs (protein) during the warm months. When it’s cold, there are less bugs for the chickens to feast. It’s not uncommon to see people increase the protein of their feed from 16 to 22% for the winter months. This year I choose not to change over to 22% protein during the winter months and we have definitely noticed a difference. In fact, Darwin comes in every night complaining about only gathering 1 egg, if that.
7) Predators – we’ve discovered whenever there is an attack on our flock, or a predator trying to access the coop at night, it stresses our ladies out and they stop laying for up to a week.
When you take into account ALL the different variables it’s no wonder chickens aren’t laying as people think they should. Honestly, with the screwed-up weather we’ve been having I’d stop laying too.
There are many wonderful resources out there to help new chicken owners, there are also some not so reputable sites. When in doubt don’t hesitate to reach out to your County Extension Office. They are there to assist you and most of their services are FREE.
Resources
“Keep Hens Laying In Fall and Winter”. Successful Farming. Aug 13, 2022. https://www.agriculture.com/family/living-the-country-life/keep-hens-laying-in-fall-and-winter
“Decreasing Daylight and its Effects on Laying Hens” Michigan State University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Oct 1, 2019. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/decreasing-daylight-and-its-effect-on-laying-hens
“Top 8 Tips for Keeping Your Backyard Chickens Cool in Summer”. MannaPro. May 29, 2013. https://www.mannapro.com/homestead/bid/148206/top-8-tips-for-keeping-your-backyard-chickens-cool-in-the-summer
“Ways to Help Molting Chickens”. Meyer Hatchery. Sept 2020. https://blog.meyerhatchery.com/2020/09/ways-to-help-molting-chickens/End by restating your main message. You can sign off with a funny note or an open question.
Books
Damerow, Gail. The Chicken Health Handbook A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease. Storey Publishing
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