Laying Hens Help

Lots of possible reasons.
1. Light: Make sure they are getting at least 14 hours p/d.

2. Stress: Too much handling. Not enough food or water. Chicken hierarchy is not settled.

3. Feed: a good layered feed is necessary for hens to lay. If you feed them people food like scraps it can mess their diet up.

4. Disease or parasites

5. Temperature: Summer months they need plenty of shade, air flow, and water. Winter needs to be above 55ish.

6. Molting: Molt once a year. Won't lay while they molt. Lasts a month to a couple months.

7. Animals: predators eat eggs but can also stress your birds into not laying. Look for weak spots in your fence. Check for tracks around your pen.

Do you free range during day? More info needed to narrow things down.

I own this book. It helped me when I first got started. Chicken Health Handbook

They're right at the age when they should start ~6 months. They'll need 14-16 hours of light a day. Decreasing light makes them shut down.

Thanks for the info guys I appreciate it

I did just set them up a light, they are on a 20% laying pellet and I also mix in a hen scratch with the pellets. Water is changed daily regardless if they drink it all. They roam my backyard all day which is about 3/4 of an acre and go in the coop at night.

Age, daylight, temperature and feed are the main keys for good egg production. They are at the right age to start. This time of year daylight and temperature are you're biggest concerns. Put a light on them and make sure they get 12-14 hours of light. Keep them warm at night.

My next question is have they moulted? During moult a hens reproductive tract regresses and repairs itself and she will stop laying.

Another possibility is they are laying in the yard. Watch them carefully especially in the morning. If you hear one cackling or make a lot of noise and then go running across the yard, go check where she came from, there's probably an egg there.

Laying pellets are sufficient to provide good nutrition for them. I will add that you can provide oyster shells for extra calcium. For really dark yellow to orange yolks, add in some whole corn to their feed.

Thanks for the info guys