About a month ago a fox came into the yard and killed my best laying hen (1 of 2 that remain from this spring). By the time the Guineas alerted me to something going on, the fox had the rooster by the butt and was trying to run away with him. The 22 Mag solved that problem but the remaining hen has not laid an egg since and the rooster hasn't done his "morning duties" either. Can chickens get "shocked" by something like that and quit laying eggs for a while? I figured after a month she would have started again. Of course this all started about the time the cold hit too and they all started spending more time in the coop and she doesn't have the privacy that she did over the summer. Thoughts?

I would venture a guess the diminished laying is a result of less day light hours. Is there a light in the coop? Can you add one if not?

Thanks! Yes, I put a light in there (I sure miss the basic old light bulbs) and the rooster crowed all night long so I shut it off being it hasn't been terribly cold. I will turn it on and see if that makes a difference. Thank you.

Chickens are weird it does not take much to mess them up just changing feed can impact their egg production that lost bird could have been bonded somehow or the slacking roosters lack of attention. A chicken is just a bird born to die often one dies and 2 start thinking about it.

It's alright to get a fresh new batch of laying breed chicks this spring.

Don’t need it on all night, couple hours evening and early morning to mimic long days.

Yep a light will make a difference.
Egg farms have lights on 24/7 to boost egg production, 1 egg a day from most hens.
Ever hear of water glassing eggs?

I like a heat lamp its red but has a white stem to supply some white light I just put a guard on a heat lamp because they don’t poof like a regular type bulb.

i have a red heat bulb above the rubber water pan

no frozen water and residuele heat

animals can get shocked...yes

Chickens can quit laying for a while when stressed for whatever reason. Predator attacks, too cold or too hot, hungry, thirsty, etc.

They will also slow way down when the daylight hours begin to drop. i run a light on a timer that gives them 15 hours a day.

Thanks all. It sounds like the combination of the fox, cold temps, shorter days and switching from chick grower to layer mash all contributed. I am done to one 6 month old hen so it isn't the end of the world anyway. As long as the remaining 3 Guineas make it until Spring I will be happy. They are quality entertainment and first class watchdogs.

12-12 turns off the laying cycle
learned that 14d-10 night is needed to turn back on

The hen that got killed laid BIG eggs and most were double yokes too. This hen lays fairly small eggs and it has never been 7 days a week.

Light (white) should be on a 12 hour timer for egg production. Easiest to just overlap daylight hours but provide a full 12 hours .

Red heat lamp , can be on 24 hours.

So when do I turn the disco lights on? Black lights aren't allowed around here.

I have a Bantam Rooster who still has his voice if your lonely !

The Rhode Island Red rooster still crows but is a Soprano.

160....why are you feeding a no egg laying roostah ?

At 6 months old ...they are just starting to lay eggs.

My light comes on at 2am and shuts off at 8am

Chickens need 14-16 hours of daylight

She could be stressed and not laying for awhile.

My chickens get 24-7 daylight all summer here in Alaska naturally, so I keep a LED bulb on all the time in the winter too. I got 5 eggs today from six laying hens. Also keep it above 20 degrees or the egg laying slows down considerably.