I use a light in my coop but not to extend the day by any appreciable time, mostly to supplement it.  I turn it on when opening the coop in the morning, (always after sunup) and turn it off at dusk.  My coop is a bit dark, I think I'll look into ways to put another window on the east side, and maybe a second pop door because in the winter the existing one is in a bad spot...  two doors seems decadent, but not such a bad idea really. 

Jan

Yes it is normal. All hens go through a molt twice a year. Usually during hottest part of summer, and then again in winter. And yes, sometimes they will just stop. It takes 14 days to make an egg, so she may have started her molt, but you didn't know because she was still clearing her system of eggs. OR, not enough light to make eggs.

But check where she lays her eggs. Is it moist? Could be someone is egg eating, or you have a rat that is taking the eggs.

I sell or put my egg eating chickens in the freezer. I have chickens for eggs and meat, and I NEED the eggs, so I won't put up with egg eating.

I have found the best chickens to be buff orpingtons (great layers, super sweet, great moms) and americaunas. We almost always go through December with out eggs. I put the white light up New Year's Day. I think 30 to 45 day vacation is plenty, and I need the eggs to feed my family. I don't feed chickens to not get anything in return, that is tooo expensive.

I do have a question though, I have one little hen that stays with that rooster (the rest of the girls are on the other side of a fence with my other rooster) and she was laying eggs almost daily after a month long vacation without lights in the coop.  For the past week we haven't had one egg from her.  Is this normal?  Should I be worried?  Can they just stop?  She acts normal, is eating fine.  Any information would be appreciated!

Jan

May I ask what kind of chickens you have and how old they are?  Some of the modern crosses which are bred to be able to tell the pullets from the cockerels the day they are hatched because their feathers clearly identify them, are bred to be very high producers, seem to get these issues a bit more IMO.  I'm trying to remember all the names these go by from hatcheries, Golden Comets, Gold Star, Black Star, Cinnamon Queen, and I know I'm forgetting some of the hatchery names... these are great birds to have if you are going to get new hens every year because they lay early and well, but production drops off quickly, and they tend to lay very large eggs for their size and if you try to raise your own chicks from them, you get strange mixtures of chicks with unpredictable traits.  This is not to say that no standard breeds or heritage breeds will ever have egg issues!  They absolutely will, which is why I was curious about what breed this hen was.

There's absolutely totally completely no way to predict when this will happen and like I said it sounds like you did all you could and more.  (I know it sounds cruel, but not many people take their chickens to a vet.)

I

I hope the link helps with the chicken....don't know if it will, but it's worth a shot