[Planner]

Hi Everyone.

All four of my hens seem to have almost stopped laying, I am getting one or max two eggs per day, last season and in fact up to about 3 weeks ago, 3 - 4 eggs per day was normal.

They are two year old bird, 2 hybrids, a black rock and Sussex. they are free ranging in the garden during the day and kept in a pen at night, with full access to layers pellets and their nesting box. At the end of the day, they get a scoop of scratch.

They all moulted at the end of last summer so I am sure they are not moulting again. They all seem healthy and none seem to be broody.

Is this just a faze or are they at the end of their laying life?

Thanks in advance

John

[Ribbit]

I don't think they are at the end, they just slow down towards two years (isa browns pretty much stop at 2years hence why battery farmers kill them then) purebreds tend to lay longer but less eggs a year.

[Pretty Chick]

I have lots of bantams who all stopped laying during the Winter season. They started up again in February. They are now three years old and laying almost every day.
I am quite sure your chickens are not at the end of their laying life.

[Beckyl]

Humm, i dont understand hens! 26 March 2010 collected 3 18wk old pol. 1st of April our 1st egg,then on in we got 36 eggs off 3 chucks in April, for a week now were getting between 1 an none eggs a day. Nothing has changed except the nights are gettin longer. The last chuck 2 start layin did have a egg with no shell just b4 they stopped performing. Can any1 please advise on what i might have done to upset them?

[Nikkithefoot]

mine slowed down during the recent cold spell, but have speeded up now its been a bit warmer.

[rossivale]

2 of my hens have not laid for a good week now, although I can't be sure that they have not layed in a hedge somewhere.

I found 21 eggs in my hedge last week, all very old eggs, so they had been there a while.

I have scoured the garden looking for eggs since but not found any 
Jo

[Jeanette]

I have got 7 girls all just over a year old and have been laying every day untill last week yesterday i only had 2 eggs is it because of the cold weather?

[joyfull]

yes the weather can affect their laying either that or in my case going broody has the same effect 

[hillfooter]

yes the weather can affect their laying either that or in my case going broody has the same effect 

You shouldn't be going broody at your age Joyous

[joyfull]

 

[compostqueen]

my hens are two years old now and one of them lays softies most of the time now. I've stopped worrying as she seems completely well. She lays strange eggs at the best of times but the one this morning was really crumpled. Still, it will be fine to eat 

[Jeanette]

Yes enjoy it.

[hillfooter]

my hens are two years old now and one of them lays softies most of the time now. I've stopped worrying as she seems completely well. She lays strange eggs at the best of times but the one this morning was really crumpled. Still, it will be fine to eat 

Most likely this is due to catching an infection in early life which has permanently damaged her reproductive system.  Infectious bronchitis is well known for causing this and is common in chickens but other conditions also can be responsible too.

HF