There are several reasons why your chickens are not laying eggs again. Sometimes, they might have gone through stress, health challenges, nutritional problem, molting, lighting issues, etc. However, some of these problems are natural why some are not, but with good management practices this problem can be rectified and your chickens will start laying again.


If you are a poultry farmer or just a backyard chicken keeper, you may have noticed a sudden drop in egg production in your flock and you get worried, however, this is not the time to panic because you might take a wrong decision along the process.

There are some questions you have to answer before taking any action. Answering those questions will enable you to make an informed decision.

SO, if your chickens (hens) stop laying eggs you can identify and find out the reasons by asking the following questions


1. Molting issue: Have the hens been laying for 10 months or more?
Your hens are probably approaching their end of the laying cycle... If that is the case, they will stop laying, go through a molt ( loss of feathers), have some rest, and start laying again.

The period of molting varies depending on the chicken breed. For backyard chickens, it takes about 8 to 12 weeks and can cause a sharp drop in egg production.



Besides the chicken breed, other factors determine how long a chicken will molt. Age, nutrition, and the environment all contribute to how long a chicken will molt.



What to do during molting


Feed your chickens a high protein diet to help them with feather regrowth. One cheap way to do this is to process the feathers and feed it to them. Feathers contain 80-85 percent protein.
Once you notice molting in your chicken you should switch to a complete feed with 20% protein, prebiotics, probiotics, and essential vitamins and mineral.
Keep your molting chickens comfortable and stress-free. Everybody deserves a comfortable environment during vacation including your chickens.
While switching from layers feed to the high protein feed, you should mix both gradually as you change over to avoid digestive upset and shock.




Note: If your chickens have been laying for less than 10 months, something else may be responsible for the lack of production. This will lead us to the next question


2.. Feeding problem: Are your chicken eating enough of the right feed (balanced diet)?

The quantity and quality of feed you give to your laying birds will have a huge impact on their egg production.

To eliminate feed as a possible reason why your chickens stop laying, you have to ensure your feed is of high quality and the hens are given the required daily amount at every stage of their life.


However, we may be overwhelmed by the high cost of feed, which may cause us to cut corners by supplement their feed with low-quality grains. But in most cases, we end up incurring more losses than expected.


If you are formulating your own feed, care should be taken in selecting the right feed ingredients that are palatable...To continue reading, click the link below


http://poultryfarmguide.com/blog/10-reasons-your-chickens-are-not-laying-eggs-/