There are several reasons why your chickens aren’t laying any eggs, ranging from the health of the birds to the time of year.
Several common reasons are listed below.
1. Lack of daylight
In order for chickens to lay well and regularly, they need at least 14 hours of daylight. This is something that can’t be avoided in the winter months in many places, and something that you will have to come to accept, unless you find a means of adding artificial lighting.
2. Improper nutrition
This problem can be a mix many different things. In order to lay eggs, hens need a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. The hens might not be given enough food to eat, or they may not be eating the best food for egg laying. It might even be as simple as not having access to a fresh and constant supply of water. Whatever the problem, all possibilities will need to be investigated.
3. Disease
Diseases can have an adverse impact on the health of chickens and the cycle of laying eggs. If your hens don’t look as healthy as they used to, you might want to investigate any symptoms that they display. A good resource to start with is The Chicken Health Handbook
4. Stress
If hens are handled too much or become frightened by other animals, they can become stressed. Hens need to feel safe in order to be comfortable enough to lay eggs. You will need to wait until the hens are ready to lay if this is the case with your hens.
5. They are laying eggs (just not where they should be laying)
This one may come as a surprise to many hen owners. Sometimes hens choose not to lay in a warm nesting nest box, even if they have done it for a long time. For all you know, there may be a stash of eggs somewhere out of sight in your backyard.
(ps. It is best not to eat these eggs, as you do not know just how long they have been there for)
