When egg production drops, or stops altogether, we can sometimes go into panic mode – Why isn’t my hen laying? Before rushing to get the antibiotics, you may want to assess. There are sometimes simple answers and easy solutions.
Normal egg production is different for different birds, different times of the year, and at different stages of their lives. We want to be able to anticipate what normal egg production is supposed to be for our flock, so that we can better recognize when a decline is normal or if it is caused by a problem that requires our attention.
Here is what I’ll cover in this article:
- Natural causes for Slowed or Stopped Egg Laying
- Easy Fixes to Increase Egg Production
- More Serious Issues to Investigate
Natural Causes for Slowed or Stopped Egg Laying
The first few things I want to cover are the natural reasons why a hen may stop laying. Since every hen has her own rhythms, it is good to better understand what a baseline is. And, for any new chicken owner, it is important to know what the normal dips in egg production are first before calling an assist.
Some of these are temporary and some are more permanent.
- Breed – every breed will be a bit different in terms of normal production. For example, Australorp chickens are the record holders for high productivity – they will reliably lay 300 eggs or more per year. Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns, Americaunas and Buff Orpingtons are also all known to be good egg layers – all averaging over 240 eggs per year. On the other hand,. cochins, silkies and bantams may only lay 100 eggs per year.
- Decreased Light – especially in the winter. Hens are extremely sensitive to light, and will reduce egg laying when light levels are lower. Therefore if it is the middle of winter, you should absolutely expect a decline or even stoppage of egg production until next spring when natural light levels increase again. Some chicken owners install lighting inside the coop during winter to increase light and in turn increase egg production.
- Molting. Every hen goes through a cycle where she begins to molt and lose some of her feathers. Some hens lose a lot of feathers, and some lose just a few. This annual cycle coincides with the regression of a hen’s reproductive tract, and her system diverts resources to feather production instead. Egg laying usually slows and can stop completely during molt. Often, molt coincides with fall or wintertime low light levels, so between the two, egg laying can appear to drop precipitously at the end of summer. But this is normal and to be expected. You can support your hens during this time with a good high protein layer formula such a “full plume” or feather fixer”, which in addition to more protein, has additional nutrients selected for feather growth.
- Broodiness. Sometimes hens become broody, and decide that they wish to be mommies. This can happen whether you have a rooster to fertilize her eggs or not. Broodiness varies according to the breed of your chickens, and some breeds may never go broody. However some will sit on the nest and refuse to leave it except to eat. When broody, unfortunately, she believes she will hatch an egg and she stops laying. You can wait it out or you can try to break her of the broodiness if you want her to begin laying again.
- Age. As a hen ages, she will begin to decline in egg production. A hens most productive years are her first few years. After that, a hen who laid every day might instead lay every other day. This is entirely variable based on her breed and her health. We’ve had 8 and 9 year old hens continue to lay eggs. But if you have a 5 or 6 year old chicken who no longer lays, you should not be too surprised.
Easy Fixes to Increase Egg Production
- Egg breakage. When a hen is young, she is still learning how to create a perfect little egg. Sometimes we get double yolk eggs, and sometimes we get an egg with no shell or a partial shell. If the latter happens, the egg can easily break, especially if there are many chickens in and out of the boxes. If you see one of your hens in the box but never find an egg, you might want to double check to make sure it hasn’t broken in the nest box.
- Egg Eating / Stealing. Maybe your hen is laying eggs, but they are just not there by the time you collect them. There is a possibility that someone is stealing your eggs. Rats, snakes and possums are all known to steal eggs. Even your own chickens could be eating them. It is not uncommon for chickens to develop a taste for egg. This usually happens when an egg breaks by accident in the nest box and the hen discovers how tasty it is. Once a chicken gets a taste, it can be quite difficult to break this intentional egg-eating habit. Anytime an egg breaks in your coop, make sure to clean it up immediately.
- Egg Hiding. Free range or pasture raised hens, if allowed out of their enclosure too early in their lives, sometimes develop the habit of laying eggs outside the coop in secluded locations. This can be disastrous, as it could attract raccoons, foxes, possums and other predators to the area. Often your hen will watch the other hens and correct herself. But if not you should take immediate actions to teach her the proper place to lay her egg. Keeping her inside and using a decoy egg are two good strategies which, when used together may help.
- Heat. Many hens … especially older birds, will stop laying during heat waves. Likewise, if your coop and/or nesting boxes are too hot, a hen may not lay her egg. Make sure you keep your chickens cool and have a shaded coop area and excellent ventilation.
- Low Water consumption or water deprivation. Chickens need lots of fresh, cool water to stay hydrated and to create that lovely little egg. Access to clean water in clean containers is imperative to good health and good egg production. Make sure you check their water daily and keep multiple clean waterers available to them. I like having multiple water stations with covers to keep dust and debris out. You can also add probiotics to their water to keep their health up. And if you live in an area where the water could freeze, make sure to invest in a good water bucket de-icer for your girls.
- Improper Diet. A hen needs balanced nutrition and good protein to build up that shell from scratch! Poultry nutrition is complicated, and hens need at least 38 different nutrients every day. If you are noticing decreased egg production, you may wish to check on the quality of your layer feed. And you may wish to switch from a regular feed to a higher protein formula. Ideal protein percentages in your feed vary based upon your chicken’s age. Chicks need the highest percent… between 20- 22 percent. Normal laying hens should get between 15 and 18 percent protein. Look for identifiers on the feed bag such as “full plume”, “feather fixer”, or “high protein”. And just like kids, don’t give too many treats, as that could skew their nutritional balance.
- Stress. Hens will stop laying when they feel stressed. This could be an external factor such as heat or diet, or a social factor such as pecking or bullying. Depending upon the level of stress and the bird’s temperament, she could stop laying indefinitely. If you see some feather plucking or other bullying, try to address it right away. Short of isolating the offending bird, it may be quite difficult to correct the behavior.
More Serious Issues To Investigate
- Disease, Illness, Injury, or Parasites. Obviously, your hen’s health will absolutely affect her ability to produce eggs. Reproduction in almost all species is generally limited to healthy individuals, because otherwise her system is diverting nutrition to just getting healthier. Her whole system will be compromised if she is fighting worms or mites. Check your ladies regularly for signs of parasites and irregular droppings. Bright green or consistently watery droppings could be a sign of an infection or that someone is otherwise struggling. Treat any girls who exhibit upper respiratory issues such as constant sneezing or wheezing. Make sure they have good dust bathing areas to help them defend against mites and always control fly populations. Quickly isolate anyone who is showing signs of disease so that the problem has a lower chance of spreading through your flock.
- Reproductive Dysfunction. Reproductive disorders such as cancers or tumors are surprisingly common in laying hens. They can be particularly common in specialty bred birds or older girls. You may see a loss of feathers accompanied by a swollen area or a squishy mass under her tail or near her abdomen. Sometimes a hen can live many happy years within your flock with this condition, but rarely will she continue to produce eggs for long after these tell-tale signs appear. You can consult with a vet, but they may not always have a diagnosis or a treatment.
When your flock has all of the components they need to stay healthy, they will be as productive as they are supposed to be.
