Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? The Great Egg Shortage

If you are new to keeping chickens you’ll eventually ask, why aren’t my chickens laying eggs?  Let’s look inside the chicken coop to explore the most common reasons you may be getting fewer eggs. 

Understanding the Egg Laying Cycle

The entire process of the egg laying cycle takes about 24–26 hours. Hens usually won’t lay eggs every day because it takes them more than a full day to produce and lay an egg. 

Instead, they may skip a day or more between laying, depending on the breed of chicken. However, there are several other reasons why you may get fewer eggs than expected.

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? The Time of Year

The time of year is something that will naturally affect egg production in your laying hens. Typically, in the beginning of fall, you may notice some changes in egg production. 

Seasons & Hours of Daylight

When it comes to egg production, hours of daylight matter. In the fall and winter months, daylight hours are shorter.  This signals the chickens that it’s time to take a break from laying eggs to focus on making new feathers.

Some chicken keepers will give supplemental light to ensure they get enough light. However, I believe in giving my backyard chickens a well-deserved break during the shorter days and cold temperatures of winter.

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? Molting

Molting naturally occurs in chickens and can last up to 12 weeks. It is the most common cause of an egg shortage.  Molting is the process they go through to shed old feathers and produce new feathers.  

Laying hens will slow down egg production, or even stop laying, while they focus their energy on growing those new feathers. Once the molting season is complete, they will return to laying eggs as normal.  

The Age of Your Hens

Peak egg production, depending on the breed is between 6 months and 2 years of age. Once they reach 2 years of age, the amount a hen lays will slowly start to decrease by about 20% every year. Old hens will simply not produce eggs as frequently as they did as young hens.  

Do You Have a Broody Hen?

When a laying hen has the desire to sit on eggs to hatch them out, she will stop laying eggs to focus on incubating her clutch of eggs. It can take a couple of months for a laying hen to return to normal egg production after going broody.  If eggs are what you are after, be on the lookout for broody hens. 

Different Chicken Breeds

Breed matters when it comes down to egg production.  Your hybrid breeds of chickens are bred to lay eggs as early as 4-6 months of age. They have a high rate of production with a sharp decline around 2-3 years old.  

While your heritage breeds, like Rhode Island Red or Plymouth Rock, take longer to begin laying eggs, they tend to lay more consistently after their peak production years. 

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? The Importance of Proper Nutrition

Nutritional needs and a balanced diet directly affect egg production.  Laying hens that are fed properly will be healthier leading to maximum egg production. Poor nutrition is a sure way to get fewer eggs.

Feed a Complete Layer Feed

Feeding a complete layer feed is the best way to provide all the necessary nutrients, including high levels of protein and calcium, to support maximum egg production and healthy eggshells. It is the first step to unlock their egg production potential. 

Oyster Shells as a Calcium Supplement

In the egg production cycle, the most time is spent forming egg shells.  Supplementing laying hens with extra calcium will help ensure they develop strong egg shells in the least amount of time. 

Provide Chicken Grit for Proper Nutrition

Chicken grit is often something that new and seasoned chicken owners often skip.  It is crucial to their digestive system to help break down feed, as they don’t have teeth to do the job.  Providing chicken grit will help ensure they absorb the nutrients in their layer feed. 

Provide Clean, Fresh Water

Chickens are notorious for making their water dirty. Clean, fresh water is essential for chickens to thrive. You may find that you try several chicken watering systems before you find one that you love. 

Are You Giving Too Many Treats?

While it may be fun to throw your laying hens treats, like meal worms or sunflower seeds, be sure not to give too many. Giving too many chicken treats can lead to a nutrition imbalance leading to a decrease in egg production. 

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? Chicken Coop Environment

Keeping the chicken coop clean for a healthy flock will set your chickens up for the best egg production. A dirty chicken coop can lead to a host of problems that will affect egg production.  

Pests Can Effect Chicken Health Leading to Fewer Eggs

Pests in the chicken coop and on your chickens will lead to parasites and disease, which will decrease their egg production. External parasites, like mites, can slow growth, lead to health concerns, and reduce egg production by up to 30%. Adding a dust bath in the chicken coop and keeping it clean will help keep pests at bay.

Ammonia Build up in a Dirty Chicken Coop

High levels of ammonia in a dirty chicken coop can significantly decrease the number of eggs laid by hens. It has awful effects on their overall wellness. Ammonia buildup in the chicken coop will reduce feed intake and cause respiratory irritation, leading to lower egg production. 

Make Sure You Have Proper Ventilation

Keeping your chicken coop clean and well-ventilated will keep those ammonia levels down.  Just be sure that you aren’t creating a chicken coop that is too drafty, especially in colder climates.  A well-ventilated coop shouldn’t be too drafty.  

Remove Manure Often

Cleaning out all that chicken manure is essential to keeping the chicken coop a healthy environment for your chickens.  Providing a good roosting spot for nighttime makes cleanup easy in the morning, as a good portion of the manure will be found right under the roost. 

Use Absorbent Litter

Using absorbent litter in a chicken coop is another way to keep that coop clean.  Removing soiled litter will keep the chicken coop clean. It directly affects egg production by reducing ammonia buildup and reducing stress, leading to happy chickens that will lay lots of eggs. 

Keep the Nest Boxes Clean

The quickest way to deter a hen from laying eggs in the nest box is to let it get dirty.  Broken eggs and manure left in the nest box material can invite pests. This can stress laying hens out and decrease their egg production. 

Clean & Disinfect Yearly

Taking the time to clean and disinfect your chicken coop can help keep the mess in check. Mix equal parts vinegar and water for an all natural disinfectant solution.

Taking a brush to scrub the floors and walls will clean up all those droppings, stains, dirt, and debris. Give it a good rinse and let it dry. You can then replace all the bedding.

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? Stress

Sometimes chickens can be a little finicky and become stressed out. Stress will disrupt a chicken’s egg production. Let’s take a look at the multiple scenarios that will turn those once happy chickens into stressed out hens. 

Stress from the Weather

Every year once hurricane season is in full swing my chickens will slow down their egg production. I can count on it every hurricane season.

Truth be told, any extreme weather or extreme temperatures can get chickens off of their regular egg laying cycle. The colder months can be especially tough on laying hens.

Overcrowding in the Chicken Coop

Perhaps the coop is too crowded.  When trying to determine how much space do chickens need, a good starting point is 3 1/2 feet per chicken. You will also want to be sure that you have the correct number of nesting boxes for your laying hens.

Moving Them May Interrupt the Egg Laying Cycle

Chickens can be a little fussy if they are relocated or moved.  The break in their normal routine can interrupt the egg laying cycle.  If you are bringing new chickens home you can expect a small break in the laying cycle.

Are They Showing Signs of Health Issues?

You may find that egg production slows down pretty dramatically if your chickens are showing signs of illness.  Keep an eye out for parasites, diseases, and respiratory infections.

Stress From Predator Problems

Could you possibly have a predator problem?  If so, your chickens are sure to be stressed out causing an interruption in the egg laying cycle. Making sure you have a safe coop for your backyard flock and keeping predators in check should be a priority. 

Change in Social Structure

Any change in the norm can throw your laying hens for a loop.  Something as simple as adding a new rooster or a change in the pecking order in the flock can cause enough stress to slow egg production. 

Do Your Chickens Have a Hidden Nest?

Trust me on this one, if you are asking why aren’t my chickens laying eggs, they might be hiding them.  If your feathered friends are free range, they may just be stashing all those eggs in a hidden nest.  

My chickens do this to me on a regular basis.  It’s always an easter egg hunt around here with my backyard flock!

Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? 

Now that we have looked at all the scenarios on what could be throwing your ladies off hopefully you can figure out what the problem is. I am sure you will be back to collecting all those fresh eggs in no time!

Happy Homesteading & Chicken Keeping,

Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm

Jenny and her family have been homesteading for more than two decades. They currently live on a 10-acre farm in Northeast Florida, which they built from the ground up, nine years ago. 

On their farm, they grow 100% of their meat and most of their vegetables. With a small herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, pastured poultry, sheep, and seasonal pigs, they not only meet their family’s meat needs but also sell their surplus to the local community. They are dedicated to sustainable practices like making compost, seed saving, and processing much of their garden and animal harvests at home. You can find Jenny wandering through her garden, making herbal tinctures, preserving food, making bone broth, and one of Jenny’s favorite hobbies, tanning all types of hides.

Why aren’t my chickens laying eggs?