Stopped egg laying

[mattigil]

Hi all.

I was just wondering if people could share their experiences of why chickens stop laying eggs.

This is currently a problem for us as we've got 7 hens but only get maybe 2 eggs a day now, whereas a few months ago we used to get around 6 a day. There doesn't seem to be any sign of moulting on the hens or any signs of illnesses, red mite, injuries so I'm not too sure what else it could be. We stopped feeding them mixed corn altogether as we got scared they could be getting fat (making it difficult for them to lay) but I don't think cutting out the treats is the cause of the reduced number of eggs as they stopped whilst they were still getting treats every few days anyway.

Would be great to hear your thoughts and experiences!

 

[Marigold]

Hi Mattigil.
Age is the main reason why hens stop laying eggs. Like women, they’re born with all the egg cells they will ever have, in their ovaries, and after a long life of regular laying, they hit the henopause because their egg cells are all used up. Hybrids bred to lay, and not to waste time going broody should lay nearly every day for their first two summers and through their first winter, and then moult in their second Autumn. Most will then return to lay in their third Spring, but after that, many of them will become less regular, egg quality will decline, and eventually eggs will cease.
So, how old are your girls, and are they hybrid layers? The pattern is often a bit different for purebreds, who may lay fewer eggs per year at the beginning, but go on longer because their egg cells are more spaced out.
Of course there are other possible health reasons for unexpectedly poor lay, with a worm burden being top of the list. If infested with worms, a lot of their nourishment is feeding the worms, so consequently there’s less available for laying eggs, on top of their own body needs. When did you last do them all with Flubenvet, and how frequently have you done them in the time you’ve had them?

 

[mattigil]

Hi Mattigil.
Age is the main reason why hens stop laying eggs. Like women, they’re born with all the egg cells they will ever have, in their ovaries, and after a long life of regular laying, they hit the henopause because their egg cells are all used up. Hybrids bred to lay, and not to waste time going broody should lay nearly every day for their first two summers and through their first winter, and then moult in their second Autumn. Most will then return to lay in their third Spring, but after that, many of them will become less regular, egg quality will decline, and eventually eggs will cease.
So, how old are your girls, and are they hybrid layers? The pattern is often a bit different for purebreds, who may lay fewer eggs per year at the beginning, but go on longer because their egg cells are more spaced out.
Of course there are other possible health reasons for unexpectedly poor lay, with a worm burden being top of the list. If infested with worms, a lot of their nourishment is feeding the worms, so consequently there’s less available for laying eggs, on top of their own body needs. When did you last do them all with Flubenvet, and how frequently have you done them in the time you’ve had them?

Thanks for your reply Marigold.

As far as I know they're all purebred. The eldest is the a Rhode Island at 2 years and 7 months, and the rest (cuckoo, black copper maran, welsummer and Cheshire blue) are between 10 and 14 months old.

So I'm not too sure what's going on.

The last time I used flubenvent I think was last summer. I've just ordered a bag of pellets with flubenvent in to give that a try as I normally used vermex instead but I've just read that vermex is more of a preventative than the medication. I will try that and see if that makes a change.

 

[Marigold]

Yes you’re right about Vermex. Many people believe it has some use as a tonic but it has no effect on worms. At their ages the problems with laying are unusual, they should all be in full lay by now. Do let us know how you get on.

 

[LadyA]

Mattigil, are you sure they're not "laying away " - hiding eggs somewhere? Or that eggs aren't either being stolen by crows/magpies or eaten by any of the hens?

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[mattigil]

Mattigil, are you sure they're not "laying away " - hiding eggs somewhere? Or that eggs aren't either being stolen by crows/magpies or eaten by any of the hens?

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

There's nowhere for the to really hide their eggs and they've always been used to laying in the nesting boxes we've had for them. There also isn't a lack of nesting boxes so they're not having to fight for one either.
We made our big run so that other birds and wildlife aren't able to get into area so it can't be another animal. And the hens themselves don't seen to be eating them as far as I know as there's no evidence of egg breakage or egg shells etc left over.