My hens stopped laying eggs

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JoMiki Jan 29, 2013

I got hens in my back yard and because of the cold they stopped laying eggs. I am bummed out. They are way better tasting and looking than store bought eggs. Hopefully it gets a bit warmer and they start laying again.
Any other urban egg farmers out there. Most cities will let you have hens but now Roosters.
eviltink Jan 29, 2013

We "do not" have a chicken. The chicken we "don't have" is a little experiment. Pretty sure she's plotting against me, but she also knows I'm the only source of food/water unless a bug just flies in her mouth. Her name's Houdini McNugget for obvious reasons. No eggs yet...
cougartoy Jan 29, 2013

Run an extension cord to the hen pen and put a light in it. She will think its day time and lay more eggs. It will also warm the pen
€₳₱₮₳ī₦🌍₱ḻ₳₦ē₮ Jan 29, 2013

Some chickens will stop laying for a couple weeks at a time and its completely normal. Its called going "broodie" and they can do it pretty frquently depending on the species
The Red Queen Jan 29, 2013

Cool!
ནཝཇངᎯངᎿཔᎦ༽༨རསཁྭ Jan 29, 2013

And that's why you don't put all your eggs in a basket
(Pun intended)
✯RagnarLoðbrók✯ Jan 29, 2013

cougartoy wrote:
Run an extension cord to the hen pen and put a light in it. She will think its day time and lay more eggs. It will also warm the pen

This. Light is an important element to keep the hens laying. 12-16 hours per day is optimal. Also, make sure you use feed high in protein to off set for them not running around eating bugs as they do during he summer. Crushed oyster shells helps replace lost calcium and ensure strong shells.
I agree nothing like an egg from your own chickens.
JoMiki Jan 29, 2013

I put a light in a couple of months ago when they stopped laying and they started again. They stopped when we started getting frost in the morning. When all the leaves fell off my trees there were more vulnerable and a hawk killed on so I have not let them out for a month. Once the trees get leaves again I will let them out again. I built an automatic chicken door out of a air vent motor I found on a surplus store. It works pretty good.
Thanks for all the posts. Nice to know there are other chicken fanciers out there.