The Nesting Box (PRE ORDER)
Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs?
You head out to the coop with your egg basket, open the nesting box and…
Nothing.
Yesterday? Nothing.
The day before? Also nothing.
At some point, every chicken keeper finds themselves staring suspiciously at their hens and asking:
“Okay… which one of you stopped laying eggs?”
A decrease in egg production doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. A hen’s laying cycle can be affected by age, daylight, season, molting, nutrition, stress, broodiness, weather, illness, parasites, and even where she has decided to hide her eggs.
Before you panic, let’s look at some of the most common reasons your chickens may not be laying.
1. Your Hens May Be Too Young
If you’re waiting for your pullets to lay their very first eggs, patience may be all that’s required.
Many chickens begin laying somewhere around 18–24 weeks of age, but this varies considerably.
Some breeds mature earlier, while slower-developing breeds may take longer.
Other factors can also affect when laying begins, including:
- Breed
- Genetics
- Nutrition
- Season
- Daylight
- Overall development
If your young hens look healthy but haven’t started laying yet, they may simply not be ready.
And yes, waiting for that first egg can feel like it takes approximately 14 years.
Then one day you’ll find a tiny egg and announce it to everyone like your chicken has won an Olympic medal.
Completely normal behaviour.
For the chicken keeper, anyway.
2. There Isn’t Enough Daylight
Daylight plays a major role in egg production.
As the days become shorter in fall and winter, many hens naturally decrease or stop laying.
This is because a hen’s reproductive system responds to the amount of light she receives.
You may notice excellent production during spring and summer followed by a significant decline as winter approaches.
This can be completely normal.
Some chicken keepers choose to provide supplemental lighting during winter, while others allow their hens to follow their natural seasonal cycle.
If you use supplemental lighting, research proper poultry lighting practices carefully rather than simply leaving coop lights on continuously. Chickens still need a normal period of darkness and rest.
3. Your Chickens Are Molting
Has your coop suddenly exploded?
Are feathers everywhere?
Does your chicken look like she’s having the worst hair day of her life?
She may be molting.
Molting is the natural process of shedding old feathers and growing new ones.
During a molt, the body redirects nutrients and energy toward feather production. As a result, egg production commonly decreases significantly or stops altogether.
Molting often occurs seasonally, particularly as daylight decreases.
What Should You Do?
Continue providing your flock with appropriate, balanced nutrition and fresh water.
Avoid putting unnecessary stress on molting birds.
Once the molt is complete and conditions are appropriate, laying may gradually resume.
4. Your Hen Is Broody
If one of your hens has suddenly decided that the nesting box is her permanent residence, she may be broody.
A broody hen wants to hatch eggs.
Signs of broodiness may include:
- Remaining in the nesting box for long periods
- Puffing herself up
- Growling or making unusual noises
- Pecking when you reach underneath her
- Flattening herself over eggs
- Leaving the nest only briefly to eat, drink, and poop
And if you’ve never seen a broody hen poop?
We’ll just say…
You’ll know.
Broody hens typically stop laying while they’re attempting to hatch eggs.
Some breeds are especially well known for broodiness, including Silkies and Cochins.
If you want chicks and have fertile eggs, broodiness can be useful.
If you don’t want chicks, you may decide to discourage or “break” the broodiness.
5. Stress Can Affect Egg Production
Chickens are creatures of habit.
Changes that seem minor to us can sometimes be significant to them.
Potential stressors include:
- Moving to a new coop
- Adding new flock members
- Predator activity
- Excessive handling
- Loud construction or disturbances
- Changes in routine
- Bullying
- Extreme weather
- Transportation
- Illness
- Overcrowding
After a stressful event, egg production may temporarily decrease.
What Can You Do?
Try to identify and remove the source of stress.
Make sure your chickens have adequate space, food, water, shelter, and places to get away from dominant flock members.
Give them time to settle back into their normal routine.
6. Nutrition May Be the Problem
Producing eggs requires a tremendous amount of nutrition.
If hens aren’t receiving an appropriately balanced diet, egg production and shell quality can suffer.
A complete poultry ration appropriate for your birds should make up the majority of their diet.
Too many treats and scraps can dilute the nutritional balance of their regular feed.
Yes, your chickens may strongly disagree with this statement.
According to chickens, treats should make up approximately 147% of their diet.
Don’t take nutritional advice from chickens.
7. Your Laying Hens May Need Access to Calcium
Eggshell production requires calcium.
Laying hens are commonly provided with an appropriate calcium source, such as crushed oyster shell, separately from their regular feed.
This allows hens that require additional calcium to consume it as needed.
Remember:
Oyster shell = supplemental calcium
Grit = helps grind food
They’re not interchangeable.
If you’re experiencing consistently thin, weak, or soft shells, nutrition is one of several things worth investigating.
8. Your Chickens May Be Too Hot
Extreme heat can reduce feed intake and place stress on chickens.
When hens eat less, they may not consume enough nutrients to maintain normal egg production.
During hot weather, make sure your flock has:
- Constant access to fresh water
- Plenty of shade
- Good ventilation
- Protection from intense afternoon sun
- Adequate space
Watch carefully for signs of heat stress.
9. Extreme Cold and Winter Conditions Can Affect Production
Cold weather itself isn’t always the primary reason hens stop laying.
Winter often brings several changes at once:
- Shorter daylight hours
- Molting
- Increased energy demands
- Frozen water challenges
- Reduced activity
- Seasonal stress
Together, these factors can result in a significant drop in production.
Make sure your chickens have continuous access to appropriate feed and unfrozen water throughout winter.
10. Your Hen May Be Getting Older
Hens don’t maintain peak egg production forever.
Young hens generally produce more eggs than older hens.
As chickens age, egg production typically decreases.
Older hens may:
- Lay fewer eggs
- Take longer seasonal breaks
- Produce larger eggs
- Lay less consistently
That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them.
They’re simply getting older.
Many hens continue laying eggs for years, just at a reduced rate compared with their younger days.
11. Parasites May Affect Laying
A heavy parasite burden can affect a chicken’s overall health and potentially contribute to reduced egg production.
External parasites can include:
- Mites
- Lice
Internal parasites may also affect chickens depending on the situation.
Watch for symptoms such as:
- Pale comb
- Weight loss
- Feather damage
- Excessive scratching
- Reduced appetite
- Lethargy
- Declining body condition
- Changes in droppings
If you suspect parasites, properly identify the problem before treating.
Using medications unnecessarily or incorrectly isn’t good flock management. A poultry veterinarian can help with diagnosis and treatment when necessary.
12. Illness Can Cause Egg Production to Drop
Sometimes reduced egg production really is a sign that something isn’t right.
A sick chicken may stop laying because her body is directing resources toward survival and recovery.
Watch for other symptoms such as:
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Laboured or unusual breathing
- Swelling
- Abnormal droppings
- Changes in comb colour
- Difficulty walking
- Spending unusual amounts of time alone
- Abdominal swelling
If a hen stops laying and shows signs of illness, investigate promptly.
Some reproductive conditions can become serious and require veterinary care.
13. Your Chickens Might Be Eating Their Eggs
This one can be sneaky.
Your hens may actually be laying normally—but eggs are being broken and eaten before you collect them.
Look for:
- Broken shells
- Sticky nesting material
- Egg residue
- Hens investigating nesting boxes frequently
Egg eating can become a learned behaviour, so it’s worth addressing quickly.
Collect eggs frequently, keep nesting boxes comfortable and appropriately dark, and investigate why eggs may be breaking in the first place.
14. Something Else May Be Eating the Eggs
Your chickens aren’t the only creatures interested in eggs.
Depending on where you live and how your coop is constructed, predators or pests may occasionally steal eggs.
If eggs suddenly disappear without explanation, inspect your coop carefully for evidence of unwanted visitors.
Also make sure there aren’t openings that allow animals to access your nesting boxes.
15. They’re Laying Somewhere Else
Before deciding that your hens have stopped laying…
Go on an egg hunt.
Free-ranging hens are notorious for finding secret nesting locations.
Apparently the beautiful nesting boxes you carefully prepared aren’t always good enough.
Instead, your hen may choose:
- Under a bush
- Behind a bale of hay
- Inside a shed
- Under the porch
- Behind stored equipment
- In tall grass
- Inside a completely ridiculous location you never would have checked
Suddenly finding a hidden nest containing 23 eggs is a very chicken-keeper experience.
If you suspect a secret nest, watch where your hens disappear during the morning.
One of them may lead you directly to the evidence.
16. You May Have Fewer Laying Hens Than You Think
If you have several similar-looking chickens, it can be surprisingly difficult to know exactly who is laying.
One hen may be laying almost every day while another hasn’t produced an egg in weeks.
Keeping occasional records can help you notice changes in flock production.
If you need to determine which individual hens are laying, observe them carefully rather than relying only on the total number of eggs collected.
17. A Sudden Change Deserves Attention
A gradual seasonal decline is different from a sudden unexplained stop.
If your entire flock suddenly stops laying, ask yourself:
What changed?
Consider:
- Did you change feed?
- Did you move the flock?
- Has there been predator activity?
- Did temperatures suddenly change?
- Is their water freezing?
- Are they molting?
- Were new birds introduced?
- Is there bullying?
- Are there signs of illness?
- Could something be stealing eggs?
Changes in egg production can sometimes be one of your first clues that something has changed within the flock.
When Should You Be Concerned?
Not laying eggs isn’t automatically an emergency.
A healthy hen may temporarily stop because of:
- Molting
- Broodiness
- Winter daylight
- Age
- Stress
- Seasonal changes
However, reduced laying combined with signs of illness deserves closer attention.
Seek veterinary advice if you’re concerned, particularly if your hen shows symptoms such as:
- Significant lethargy
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe abdominal swelling
- Straining
- Inability to stand normally
- Refusal to eat or drink
- Rapid deterioration
It’s always better to investigate concerning symptoms rather than assuming she’s simply “taking a break.”
A Quick Egg-Laying Checklist
If your hens aren’t laying, ask:
- Are they old enough to lay?
- Are they molting?
- Are they broody?
- Are daylight hours shorter?
- Are they eating an appropriate balanced diet?
- Do laying hens have access to supplemental calcium?
- Do they always have fresh water?
- Has the flock experienced stress?
- Is the coop overcrowded?
- Are there signs of parasites?
- Are there signs of illness?
- Could eggs be getting broken or eaten?
- Could another animal be stealing eggs?
- Have you checked for a secret nest?
- Are your hens simply getting older?
Sometimes, Your Chickens Just Need a Break
It’s easy to become concerned when the egg basket suddenly isn’t as full as it used to be.
But chickens aren’t machines.
Their bodies respond to seasons, daylight, nutrition, age, stress, reproduction, and overall health.
Sometimes a reduction in eggs is your signal to investigate a problem.
Other times?
Your hen is molting, it’s November, she has three feathers left on her tail, and she has officially decided that egg production is no longer her problem.
Fair enough.
Focus on keeping your flock healthy rather than expecting a specific number of eggs every day.
Provide good nutrition, fresh water, adequate space, a safe environment, and regular observation.
And before declaring an official egg-laying crisis…
Check behind the shed.
There’s a very real possibility Brenda has 27 eggs hidden back there. 🐔🥚❤️