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A sudden drop in eggs is one of the most common backyard chicken worries. Usually it's something ordinary and fixable. Here are the seven causes to run through, roughly in order of likelihood.
In late summer or autumn, hens drop and regrow their feathers. Regrowing feathers takes enormous protein, so laying stops almost completely for three to six weeks. If you see loose feathers everywhere and tatty-looking birds, this is almost certainly it — just wait it out and feed a higher-protein ration.
Hens need roughly 14 hours of daylight to keep laying. As days shorten in autumn, production naturally falls and may stop entirely over winter. This is normal seasonal behavior, not illness.
Laying peaks in the first year and falls 10–20% annually after that. A four-year-old hen laying only a couple of eggs a week is healthy and normal — she's just past her prime.
Hens are sensitive. A predator scare, a move to a new coop, extreme heat, a new bird upsetting the pecking order, or a barking dog can all shut down laying for days. Look for recent changes around the coop.
A broody hen wants to hatch eggs and stops laying while she sits flat and puffed in the nest box, often growling when you reach under her. She'll resume once the broody spell breaks.
Layers need a complete layer feed with enough protein (~16%) and calcium (offer oyster shell free-choice). Too many kitchen scraps or scratch grains dilute the diet. And even a few hours without clean water will knock out laying.
A heavy parasite load drains a bird and stops her laying. Check at dusk for tiny mites around the vent and under wings, and watch for pale combs, weight loss or a scruffy appearance. Treat promptly — and see a vet if you're unsure or birds seem genuinely ill.
The trick is knowing exactly when laying dropped and whether it was the whole flock or one bird. That points straight at the cause: a gradual autumn slide is daylight or molt, while an overnight cliff is more likely stress, a predator or a broody hen.
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