Fresh eggs are just one of the many benefits we can enjoy from our backyard flocks. But when egg production slows down or halts, it can be a cause for concern. It is natural for a hen to lay eggs, and depending on the breed, some hens are very prolific layers. Understanding the reasons why hens may stop laying will help you take better care of your flock. It can also help you problem-solve if your flock suddenly stops laying or you notice a decline in egg production. Let’s explore some reasons why hens will stop laying eggs!.
There are many potential reasons why a chicken may stop laying eggs. By understanding the most common causes, chicken owners can troubleshoot and take steps to get their hens laying again.
Age of the Chicken
- Chickens naturally lay the most eggs during their first 2 years of life.
- Egg production declines as the chicken ages. After 2-3 years, it is common for laying to slow or stop completely.
- This happens as the chicken runs out of egg-producing ovarian follicles. Once a follicle develops into an egg, that follicle is gone for good.
- Older hens may continue laying sporadically, but they will never return to peak production levels.
Molting
- Molting is the process where chickens shed old feathers and regrow new ones. This occurs 1-2 times per year.
- Molting requires a lot of energy and nutrients. As a result, chickens typically stop laying eggs during a molt.
- Signs of molting include visible feather loss, bald patches, and increased preening behavior.
- Molting usually lasts 4-6 weeks. Egg laying resumes once the new feathers have grown in.
Insufficient Light
- Chickens require 12-14 hours of daylight to maintain egg production.
- As winter days get shorter, the decrease in daylight can cause chickens to stop laying.
- Providing artificial light in the coop during winter can simulate longer days and encourage egg laying.
- Light must reach 12-14 hours per day to be effective. timers and bulbs can automate the lighting schedule.
Extreme Temperatures
- Laying hens prefer temperatures between 45-80°F. Temperatures outside of this range can disrupt laying.
- In hot weather above 85°F, chickens may stop laying due to heat stress. Keeping chickens cool with shade, ventilation, and water is key.
- In cold weather below 45°F, energy required for warmth competes with egg production. Supplemental heating may be needed.
Improper Diet
- Laying hens require additional protein, calcium, and other nutrients compared to non-laying chickens.
- Deficiencies in protein, calcium, or other nutrients can cause a drop in egg production.
- Transitioning to a new layer feed formula suddenly can also disrupt laying temporarily.
- Free-choice oystershell or a commercial calcium supplement ensures adequate calcium intake.
Broodiness
- Broodiness is when a hen wants to incubate a clutch of eggs to hatch chicks.
- Broody hens will sit in the nest box for extended periods and become protective of their eggs.
- Broodiness causes hens to stop laying entirely until the chicks hatch or the broodiness breaks.
- Removing broody hens from the nest box multiple times per day can help discourage the behavior.
Stressors
- Chickens are sensitive to stress. Changes in environment, predators, illness, or flock members can cause stress.
- Stress leads to increased cortisol which disrupts the hormones required for egg production.
- Eliminating or reducing stressors allows the chicken’s physiology to return to normal.
Health Issues
- Sickness, diseases, parasites, and other health issues affect the chicken’s wellbeing.
- Hens fighting illness will channel energy toward recovery rather than producing eggs.
- Symptoms like lethargy, appetite changes, and abnormal appearance/droppings can indicate health issues.
- Consulting a veterinarian can identify and resolve underlying health problems.
Overbreeding
- Over-eager roosters may continually try to mate with hens, even if the hen is not receptive.
- Constant mating attempts can wear down and stress the hen over time.
- Limiting a rooster’s access to hens gives the hen a reprieve between matings.
- Excessive mating attempts are more likely with an imbalanced rooster-to-hen ratio.
Age of Chicken (Frequency: 3)
3) Not enough light (Frequency 4), high temperatures (Frequency 4), bad nutrition (Frequency 5), bloating (Frequency 3), stress (Frequency 2), health problems (Frequency 3), and overbreeding (Frequency 4).
Factors that Affect Production
Age: Young hens (called pullets) don’t reach reproductive maturity until they are around 20 weeks of age. Chicken breeds bred for high production may start laying as early as 18 weeks of age. Heritage and large chicken breeds will take longer to become fully grown and may not start laying eggs until they are 24 weeks old. Sometimes it may take as long as 6 months before you get that first egg!.
It may take a little while for a young pullet’s reproductive system to get started, so she may skip a day or two of laying as she starts off. Her eggs will also be small but gradually become bigger as she starts laying more regularly. She will then lay regularly for the next two to three years of her life. While heritage chicken breeds don’t lay as many eggs as hybrid production breeds, they do lay well for up to five or six years, which is longer than hybrid production breeds.
Because of the stress of getting older and laying eggs all the time, a hen’s reproductive system slows down as she gets older. Her body starts releasing less of the hormones that trigger the reproductive cycle. Also, older hens need more daylight to start laying eggs, and they are more likely to get illnesses that stop them from doing so. When a chicken stops laying completely depends on the breed and individual hen. Some older hens only lay seasonally, such as during the spring and summer, while others call it quits completely.
Breed: A chicken’s breed is another factor in how well a hen lays. Hybrid chicken breeds developed for commercial egg production start laying at an early age and lay prolifically for two to three years. Then they significantly drop in production after three years of age. Heritage chicken breeds won’t start laying until they are older, but they will lay consistently for up to five to six years before slowly decreasing in production.
Season: A hen’s laying cycle is often directly impacted by the seasons. Where you live may dictate what seasons affect your laying hens the most. In the wild, spring and summer are the seasons that naturally trigger the reproductive cycle for birds. While selective breeding has changed a hen’s reproductive cycle to some extent, she is still dictated by her natural environment.
Spring is naturally a time of high egg production. The lengthening daylight hours and warming weather triggers a hen’s reproductive hormones to kick in. The longer days and warmer weather continue to encourage reproduction right through the summer months. Although, extreme heat can cause hens to experience heat stress, which may decrease or halt laying.
If one of your hens stops laying during the spring or summer but is still sitting in the nesting boxes, then you may have a broody hen on your hands. Spring and summer are not only a time of high production, but those seasons also trigger broodiness in hens who want to be mothers. Broodiness causes a hen to stop laying as she focuses on incubating her eggs and raising chicks.
As fall hits, the shortening daylight hours and cooler weather triggers the fall molt. A laying hen who is over 1 year of age will molt annually in the fall. Molting is the process that every bird goes through which involves losing old feathers and re-growing new feathers. Molting requires lots of energy, so hens will stop laying eggs since producing eggs and re-growing feathers at the same time demands too much energy.
Following on the heels of fall, the colder and shorter days of winter don’t trigger a hen’s reproductive cycle to restart after the molt. If a hen’s pituitary gland is not sensing enough light within a 24-hour period, she won’t lay eggs during the winter. Young pullets need less light in order to lay, so sometimes young pullets will lay through the winter despite the shorter daylight hours. However, cold weather can lead to cold stress, which will cause a hen to stop laying as she uses energy to stay warm instead of making eggs.
Health: A hen’s health plays a crucial role in how well she lays. Health issues like infections, diseases, parasites, or injury cause stress to a hen’s body. Fighting a disease or healing a wound requires energy that is often redirected from egg laying. Stress and lack of energy will cause a hen to stop laying when she is ill or injured. Some ailments cause malnutrition, tumors, or organ failure that would also halt production.
A hen needs to be in good health and have a proper diet in order to lay eggs.
Dirty Coop, Fewer Eggs? The Impact of Environment on Egg-Laying
A common concern that many chicken keepers have is the impact that a dirty coop can have on laying hens. The dangers of a dirty coop are serious and can affect the health, productivity, and well-being of your flock. Here are some dangers of a dirty chicken coop:
- Pests: Flies will come to droppings and rodents will come to spilled food. Both of these animals can carry disease and parasites.
- Ammonia: When droppings build up in the coop, ammonia is released into the air. This can burn a hen’s lungs and damage their lungs.
- Disease: Microbes that cause disease do best in dirty, damp places, which means that harmful bacteria, parasites, and protozoa can grow in the coop.
- Stress: A dirty coop can happen when there are too many chickens in it. This makes the chickens stressed because they need their own space.
All these factors can impact egg laying since any stressors in a hen’s environment may inhibit the natural egg laying cycle. When a hen is stressed due to overcrowding, disease, or difficulty of breathing, she won’t be directing energy to the process of egg laying.
Keeping your chicken coop clean and well-maintained will help your hens stay healthy and stress-free. A clean coop will prevent exposing your hens to harmful bacteria and parasites that thrive in dirty environments. Make sure the coop has plenty of space, nesting boxes, and roosts for the number of hens you are raising. A clean and spacious coop will prevent stress and disease from causing your hens to stop laying.
Here are some ways you can keep a clean coop to encourage laying:
- Take out the droppings every day. Putting droppings boards under the roosts can make it easy to take out the droppings every day.
- Use the right litter—use litter that is absorbent and that breaks down with any waste that the droppings boards don’t pick up. Hemp bedding, wood shavings, and straw are all common things used to line chicken coops.
- Get rid of litter that is wet or dirty. Keeping the coop dry will keep harmful bacteria and ammonia from building up and causing health problems.
- Clean and disinfect the coop often. A thorough cleaning once a year or as needed can help keep the coop clean and fresh.
- Good ventilation—Good ventilation makes sure that air flows freely in the coop, which forces out old, smelly air and brings in new, oxygen-rich air.
- Clear nests—hens look for places to lay their eggs that are quiet, dark, and safe. Make sure your hens’ coop has the right number of nesting boxes and clean litter for them.
Chickens Not Laying Eggs For Months! The Causes
FAQ
Why would my chickens suddenly stop laying eggs?
Improper nutrition can occasionally cause hens to stop laying. Inadequate levels of energy, protein or calcium can cause a production decrease. Jul 12, 2022.
How do I get my chickens to lay eggs again?
What would cause a chicken to never lay eggs?
Parasites – lice, mites, fleas, internal worms – can cause bodily stress that impacts their laying. Stress can also be caused by being bullied, being handled too much, getting hurt, having noisy kids and pets in the garden, or living in a bad place. Making sure the hens have a space where they can stay happy and healthy is vital.
How long is it normal for chickens to stop laying eggs?
Hens may live in backyard flocks for 6-8 years, and most flocks will produce eggs for 3-4 years. The level of egg production, egg size, and shell quality decrease each year. Most commercial layers are kept for 2-3 years as their egg production decreases after this time.
Why do chickens stop laying eggs suddenly?
Chickens may suddenly stop laying eggs due to several underlying issues. Age, bad nutrition, lack of light, stress, parasites, the annual molt, salpingitis, predator attacks, hot weather, and having too many babies are some of the most common causes.
What is a common cause of chickens stopping egg production?
Poor nutrition, lack of light, stress, parasites, the yearly molt, salpingitis, predator attack, hot weather, and having too many chicks are some of the most common reasons why chickens stop laying eggs all of a sudden. This abrupt change often signals underlying issues that may need immediate attention.
Why do hens stop laying?
“That’s when hens go through their annual molt — they shed their old feathers and grow a fresh set to better keep them warm during winter. “All hens lay fewer eggs during their annual molt. Some stop laying completely. The reason the molt affects laying is that nutrients needed to produce eggs are instead channeled into producing plumage.”
What causes delayed egg laying in chickens?
Delayed egg laying can be caused by many different factors in chicken. Some of the more common causes include: 1. Stress: Chickens are very sensitive animals and can be easily stressed out by changes in their environment or routine. This can cause them to stop laying eggs for a period of time.
What causes a hen to stop producing eggs?
3. Stress Factors Chickens can be sensitive creatures, and various stressors can lead to a halt in egg production. Stressors can include changes in the environment, handling, or flock dynamics. Identifying Stressors Environmental Changes: Changes like a new coop, introduction of new flock members, or changes in feed can stress hens.
Why are my hens laying less eggs?
If the conditions become too hot for your hens then they will start to lay less. This is a physiological response to environmental stress. The ideal laying temperature is 65-75°F. At 85-90°F egg size and quality start to fall. Above 90°F they may stop laying eggs altogether to reduce stress on their bodies.