If you’ve been keeping chickens for any length of time, you’re probably used to a steady stream of fresh eggs. But what do you do when your hens suddenly stop laying?
There can be a number of reasons why your chickens’ egg production has decreased. It could be something as simple as a change in the weather or their environment. Or it could be a sign of a more serious health issue.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most common reasons why chickens stop laying eggs and what you can do to encourage them to start producing again.
Stress
One of the most common reasons for reduced egg production is stress. Chickens can be sensitive to changes in their environment and routine. If something has upset their normal routine, it can lead to a decrease in egg production.
Reasons why a chicken can become stressed:
• A change in the weather – Chickens are susceptible to variations in temperature and humidity. A sudden drop in temperature or increase in heat can lead to stress and a reduction in laying.
• A change in their diet – If you’ve recently changed your chickens’ feed, they may become stressed as they adjust to the new food. This can lead to a reduction in eggs until they start to adjust to the new feed.
• A rise in predators – If there are predators around, your chickens will often show signs of stress. These signs may include increased aggression such as pecking, pacing, and abnormal feathering outside of molting. Until the predators leave or are eradicated, your egg production may take a hit.
• A change in their environment – If you’ve moved your chickens to a new coop or run, they may become stressed from the move. Until they adjust, egg laying may decrease or stop altogether.
What you can do:
If you think your chickens are stressed, try to identify the cause and make changes to make your flock more comfortable. This may include adding more hiding places for them to feel safe, providing them with a consistent diet, or moving them to a more secure area.
Age
Another common reason for reduced egg production is age. Chickens typically lay the most eggs when they’re between the age of one and three. After that, their egg production will start to decline gradually. By the time they’re three years old, many chickens will have significantly reduced egg production.
What you can do:
There’s not much you can do to increase egg production in older chickens. However, you can try to make their environment as relaxing as possible and provide them with a healthy/varied diet to help them maintain their current level of production.
Health Issues
There are several health issues that can lead to reduced egg production in chickens. Some of the most common include:
• Molting – Chickens typically molt (lose their feathers in order to grow new ones) once a year. Molting typically starts when the season changes from summer to fall. This process can be incredibly taxing on chickens and can lead to a decrease in egg laying as their energy goes towards regrowing their feathers. Learn more about molting here.
What you can do:
Unfortunately, molting is natural, and there’s not anything you can do to prevent it. It’s important to provide them with a healthy diet and a safe environment during this transition. Although it is a difficult time for them, with your help, they will get through it and resume laying.
• Infectious diseases – Chickens are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases that can lead to reduced egg production. Some of the most common include Newcastle disease, Infectious Bronchitis, and Marek’s disease.
What you can do:
The best way to prevent infectious diseases is to vaccinate your chickens and keep their environment clean. If you think your chickens may be sick, contact a veterinarian for treatment options.
As soon as you identify a sick chicken, it is also important to remove it from your flock and quarantine. Disease can spread quickly and be fatal, even when treated.
• Parasites – Chickens can be infected with several different parasites, including mites, lice, and ticks. These parasites can cause stress and lead to a reduction in egg production.
What you can do:
If you think your chickens may be sick, it’s important to seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment of diseases can help reduce the impact on egg production. You should also take steps to control parasites, such as regularly inspecting your chickens for signs of infestation and treating them with an appropriate insecticide if necessary.
Lack of nutrients
Chickens need a balanced diet to stay healthy and lay eggs. If they’re not getting enough of the right nutrients, it can lead to reduced egg production. Some of the most important nutrients for chickens include protein, calcium, and vitamin D.
What you can do:
Make sure your chickens are getting a balanced diet by feeding them quality chicken feed that contains all the essential nutrients. You can also supplement their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, and crushed oyster shells or grit to help them digest their food properly.
Lack of light
You may notice in the winter that your chickens have stopped laying. That’s because chickens need a certain amount of light to lay eggs. If they’re not getting enough light, it can lead to reduced or even halt all egg production. Chickens typically need at least 12 hours of light per day to lay eggs.
What you can do:
To rectify this, you can make sure your chickens have access to plenty of light by keeping their coop lit for a few hours after sunset. You can also try adding a light bulb to their coop. This may continue your egg production, but chickens are born with a set number of eggs they will lay. Lighting your coop disrupts their natural rhythms, and they may stop laying eggs earlier than they would if you followed their natural seasons.
Broody hens
Sometimes, hens will go through a phase called “broodiness,” where they stop laying eggs and start sitting on a nest of eggs in an attempt to hatch them. This can last for several weeks, and during this time, they do not lay their own eggs.
What you can do:
If you have a broody hen, you can try to break her out of it by putting her in a wire cage or moving her to another coop. You can also try collecting the eggs as soon as they’re laid to discourage her from going broody.
Heat
Extreme heat can also lead to reduced egg production in chickens. High temperatures can make it difficult for chickens to maintain their body temperature. Additionally, they also decrease their food intake, which impacts the number of eggs that they lay. Optimal temperatures for laying lie between 50 to 80 degrees.
What you can do:
If the weather is hot, try to provide your chickens with some relief from the heat. This may include putting up a shade cloth in their coop, giving them access to a pool of water to cool off in, or misting them with water on particularly hot days.
Crowding
Chickens need plenty of space to roam and forage. If they’re crowded into a small area, it can lead to stress and halt egg laying. A chicken needs approximately 3-5 square feet of space in their coop in order to thrive.
What you can do:
Make sure your chickens have enough space by providing them with a large coop and plenty of room to roam in your yard or garden. You may also want to consider letting them free-range in an open area, such as a pasture, if possible.
Trouble-shooting a decrease in egg production
There are many reasons why your chickens might not be laying as many eggs as usual. Be sure to check for simple things like stress, disease, and old age, but also consider environmental factors, such as a change in weather or nutritional deficiencies. Any one of these factors could be causing reduced egg production in your flock.
But don’t worry; with a little investigation, you should be able to get to the bottom of the issue and get your girls back on track!
0
