Most backyard chicken owners will agree that the single best part of keeping chickens is walking down to the coop each morning to collect eggs. How do you get chickens to lay eggs?
I normally have anywhere from 8-10 fresh warm eggs waiting for me every morning, and the family loves eating them for breakfast!
But what do you do if your chickens aren’t laying eggs? How can you get your chickens to lay eggs?
Unfortunately, there is no way to ‘force’ your chickens to lay eggs. However, there are lots of things you can do to encourage and get chickens to lay eggs.
Whether your chickens haven’t even started laying yet, or have gone off the lay, follow the steps below to get them laying eggs sooner rather than later!
The Importance of Nutrition is Key To Get Chickens to Lay Eggs
Best Feed To Get Your Hens Laying
Scratch and Peck Feeds – Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed
- High in protein to help chickens’ grow back their feathers.
- This feed is organic and non-GMO.
- This is by far one of my hens’ favorite layers feed.
If your chicken’s dietary requirements aren’t being met, then they won’t be laying any eggs for you.
Your chicken needs around 20 grams of protein to lay an egg. In addition to protein, chickens need calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, fat, and water.
In fact, water is the single most important nutrition they require, and even a few hours without water can cause them to stop laying eggs for weeks. On average, chickens will drink around three times as much water by weight as they will eat.
If anyone of these nutritional requirements isn’t being met, then chances are your chickens won’t be laying any eggs.
Whilst it can appear overwhelming and daunting, providing your chickens with the correct nutrition is relatively straightforward.
All you need to do is feed your chickens an approved commercial feed.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, your chickens are of ‘egg-laying age, so you should be feeding them layers pellets.
Layer pellets are specifically formulated to provide your chickens with the correct amount of protein and calcium so that they will lay lots of eggs with thick, strong shells.
Note: If your chickens haven’t started laying yet, you should be feeding them either grower or developer feed. Start feeding them layers’ pellets at 20 weeks old or when they lay their first egg if this occurs before 20 weeks.
Backyard chicken’s that most commonly don’t get the required nutrition aren’t fed commercial feed.
Whilst some people think feeding chickens commercial feed takes the fun out of it, I prefer to feed them commercial feed to make sure they get their key nutrition, and then I feed them scraps and snacks for a bit of variety.
Have you seen my chickens’ top 9 favorite snacks?
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Conclusion
So there you have it: unfortunately, you can’t force your chickens to lay eggs.
However, if you follow the steps in this article, you can create an environment where your chickens will be very likely to lay lots of eggs for you!
The key takeaway is that when chickens stop laying eggs, this is their way of telling you something isn’t quite right.
It could be their diet, an infection, parasites, or not having enough daylight. It’s your job as a backyard chicken keeper to investigate and make them happy again!
Let us know below what you do when your chickens stop laying eggs…
READ NEXT: 10 Breeds of Chicken That Will Lay Lots of Eggs for You
False: Nests need to be 18″ off floor. Nests do NOT need to be any measure above the floor of coop. I’ve built 2 coops with nests designed on floor, beneath poop board and roosts with no problem to laying eggs.
Hi Ricky,
Whilst hens will still lay eggs on the floor, an elevated nesting area will almost always improve their rate of laying 🙂
Claire
Very new to chicken keeping here! My coop/run configuration still evolving. I recently had nest boxes hung 24” above the floor for my girls They love them! An unexpected bonus was the creation of storage space underneath the boxes
I have a hen that for some reason will not lay. She is old enough by far and I have tried everything I can think of. I have 49 hens and 3 roosters all Buff’s and just picked up 12 turkeys along with 3 cows and 3 pigs things are starting to that form just nicely
I have 8 ladies laying eggs which are about 7 months old. All of a sudden one started laying soft eggs and I hand fed her some scratch grains with an abundance of oyster shell and she started right back up with three good eggs. But now she hasn’t laid anything in 8 days. She is a happy AndHealthy girl with little stress So what else should I try before giving up on her laying more eggs. She still goes and sits on the nest for an hour or so every day which gives me some hope.
Good to know. Thank you Ricky. I got my coop just finished and then read this article and had a brief panic attack. So thank you. I will be leaving it as floor design as well.
Hi I have 2 Rhode Island Reds who are just about 16 months old. My hens didn’t lay anything for a while and I stopped giving them mixed corn and then got some eggs but only one was laying. The other one broke the eggs and laid nothing. Since then the layer has laid approx 3 eggs a week and the other nothing. Recently I give them some mixed corn just as a treat on a couple of occasions and now I have no eggs at all for over a week. They free range out of their coop for over 12 hours a day, have lovely grass area in a portion of a field and have fresh water and clean house. I can’t work it out. They have layers pellets, access to grit (which they don’t seem to like) and dandelions etc. I don’t give them any treats now. What might be wrong?
Thanks
Hi Fiona,
What is their water supply like- fresh clean water is a must!
Also, as they free range all day is there a chance they could be laying eggs elsewhere and not in the nesting box?
Claire
What kind of light can I use to give artificial light to my girls? They are Rhode island reds and are 18 weeks old and I haven’t seen any eggs yet. I am feeding patina eggs layer feed and change water every day and they are out of the coup from sun up to sun down.?
Hi Brandy,
They are still very young, however I would expect them to start laying eggs within the next 4 weeks or so without a light.
However if you would like to install a light then please look at our article here:
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-definitive-guide-to-keeping-chickens-in-winter-chapter-two/
I have a coop, and the nesting area is elevated with a ramp. But as far as I know, they refuse to go up. I’ve placed feed there in the attempt to tempt them up the ramp, but it has not worked.
Now I believe that the ramp is too steep for them, could that be the reason, or should they still be able to some what “flap” their way up?
Another quick question. Lately, my chickens have been “whining”. And I am concerned. Do you have any idea what the problem could be?
I’m a beginner…and I’m hoping you could help me.
Hi James,
It’s unlikely that the ramp is too steep- the general rule of 30-40 degrees. Also, you will find they can and will just hop straight up into the coop and skip the ramp all together…
Claire
Agreed mine are 20 weeks only 2 use the ramp the others jump in!!
Try putting them in the coop in the evening.
Not sure if the problem is petsisting. I had the same issue with my new hens for a couple weeks. The problem went away when I did two things. Not sure which was the solution. Firstly I put some extra thin strips of wood across the ramp giving them more grip. (So it ended up being a 5mm high and 1 cm strip of wood across the ramp spaced at about 6 cm spacing. The chickens started going up the ramp almost immediately but then stopped and refused to go in trough the entrance to the coop. So I widened the opening to 30cm x 30cm. Even my two silkie hens which were bought from a breeder, where they had never had a ramp in their coop, quickly started going up and downthe ramp. The silkies even sat side by side blocking the entrance until the much larger hens reckoned enough was enough and pushed past or over them. Now the two large hens (Langshans) jump from ground to top of the ramp andvife versa while the silkies still walk up and down.
We found that we had to “train” them to learn to use the coop. We locked them in the coop for a week and they now know that as home.When they’re done for the day, they go up.
We did do this early on, when they were pretty young.
Hi, I have 5 hens. All are 17 months old and all lay almost daily except the Black Cuckoo Marans, who has never laid an egg. (I have a mixed flock.) She is second in the pecking order, so is not stressed. She broods in one of the 4 elevated nesting boxes. I have 3 water troughs that are changed daily. I feed a commercial laying feed and supplement with oyster shell, baked, crushed egg shells and meal worms. The hens free-range 3-5 hours a day and I can see all areas where a hen might try to lay an egg, but they all return to the coop to do that. The coop/run is large. They do not have mites and I use an organic spray (vinegar and orange oil) weekly when I totally clean out the coop and run. I sprinkle DE around on every surface.
She does squat down when I go to pick her up and she has a bright red crest and wattles. No parasites. She is not thin. Any ideas? I hate to think she is the 1 in 10,000 hens that is sterile!
Hi Pamela,
If she is the only hen not laying and she has never laid an egg it sounds to me like unfortunately she just isn’t going to ‘bloom’.
It’s rare but occasionally it does happen 🙁
Claire
How rare?
I don’t have any stats on this, but in my experience I’ve only come across a handful in my lifetime 🙂
Claire
I have a silver pencil laced rock that I have the same problem with so apparently we are the unlucky ones!
I have a French Rousse hen, bought as a point of lay in July and she has never laid an egg. She lives with a young Vorwerk cockerel and hen, but did get stressed 4 months ago by a fox which took my other 3 Rousse hens in early August, but she survived intact. I am just crossing my fingers that when the Vorwerk hen starts laying she might want to join in 🙂
Another issue. I have a hen that died unexpectedly. She had no signs of distress and was clean and free of lice/mites. I checked her vent which looked normal and clean. Her comb was healthy looking. She had been very healthy and laying good eggs until yesterday when I noticed that she was acting very sluggish. She refused to eat and I tried to hydrate her with a syringe. I also placed her in a shallow pool to try to get her to drink. She took a couple of drinks in there. After holding her and trying to help her, I placed her in the nesting box (where she wanted to be) for the night. She was dead in the morning. I’m thinking that she went brody a couple of days ago because she started laying in the nesting boxes all the time. I heard that it is possible that she could have dehydrated herself by staying in the nesting boxes and then just became too weak. I feel a huge sense of guilt because I just did not know that she was becoming dehydrated or weak. Have you heard of this happening before? Any other suggestions as to what may have caused her death/symptoms.
Hi Ann,
I’m sorry to hear about your loss.
I have heard about this before and know that some chickens have died due to starvation/dehydration because they don’t want to leave their eggs…
With that being said it’s hard to say for sure why she died without seeing her.
Please don’t feel guilty- it sounds like you did all you could by helping her out of the coop and trying to get her to eat and drink. She could have been suffering with a hidden illness before she went broody.
Claire
I recently was givin 3 hens and 3 roosters, I have a big coop- an old pop up camper that was converted into a coop.. 4 nesting areas about 24” off the floor and nest are about 15”x15” in one of the pop out areas which is all wood now. a 12’ x12’ fence up around the pen.. I feed and water 2 times a day fresh water, and crumbling feed, (the guy I got them from said they won’t eat pellets) they are banche? And other bigger breads as well all cross breeds though. I’ve had them a week and a half now and have got 5 eggs, and it’s always 1 small white and 1 brown, which I was told they could take weeks to start laying again, happy it’s not long. I was thinking about free range after 2 weeks but my gf has 3 cockapoos that like to try to get to the chickens.. chicken don’t seem to mind since the guy I got them from had big dogs.. so should I try to introduce the dogs 1 by one into the 12 x 12 area holding them or what?? And maybe start trying the pellet feed as well?? The guy I got the chickens from had a crowded coup and just wanted to thin his out and was getting 15 eggs a week..? To new and really want to make a go at this. I love eggs and raising these chicken and hope for more in the future.. any and all help appreciated.. I read all kinds of stuff on line but need real advice!! Lawrence
I have 6 hens . By calculations they should have started laying , but not have. Because of our location, they are kept in a structured coop. Should I let them run free, just scared they will be taken off by predators…
Hi Tina,
Your hens don’t have to free range to lay eggs. Just make sure they are fed high protein layers pellets and have some space outside to roam around in 🙂
Claire
I have 3 American gamefowl hens. They’re all 25 weeks old. They’re free range and eat corn and rice. They haven’t started laying eggs and they have mated before.
Hi Jane,
I would swap their corn out for layers pellets.
They need protein in their feed in order to lay eggs.
Claire
I have 14 3 year old chickens . They are fed layer pellets and free range with plenty of fresh water . Every summer their egg production slows down . I am only getting 3-5 eggs a day sometimes less why does their production lessen in the summer ?
Hi Jean,
It’s likely the very hot weather is slowing them down. Perfectly normal during heat waves and I have the same problem which my hens!
Claire
Check out Becky’s channel on egg laying feeds.
Hello this is my first time having chickens and I keep getting different info on when they should lay, I have a mixed crew that consists of black and golden sexlinks, brown and white Leghorns, and some red rangers. They we 10 days old when I got them the first week of may. I also just put them on layer pellets and always clean and refill the water. Any help would be great.
Hi Josie,
Thank you for getting in touch.
Hens start to lay eggs at around 18-20 weeks old. However, there are always exceptions to this rule and some can be earlier or later than this…
Claire
Ok thanks.
Ok, am going through the steps to try to get my chickens laying again. I changed their feed to see if that works. Don’t think they liked Purina. How long after I change.feed should I wait until I change again. I cannot find any other reason for them to stop laying. Other than they used to have a rooster and now do not. Could that do it?
Hi Linda,
A rooster will not stop the hens laying so I wouldn’t worry about that.
I would give them a couple of weeks to settle down with their new feed.
We have 5 Road Island Reds. But only 4 of the 5 are laying regularly. One, “Elby”, quit laying at the end of June. Not sure why or what to do to get her back on track.
Also, with winter coming, we realize the lighting situation, but what about the temperature? what is too cold for them? Or what should their coup temperature be regulated at?
Hi Rick,
I would read our winter guide, we cover all of this in there 🙂
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-definitive-guide-to-keeping-chickens-in-winter/
Claire
Hi!
My chickens are almost 26 wks old and I still see no eggs. Why? We have everything you stated in the article.
Thanks!
Hi Ava,
Some breeds don’t start laying as early, so they might need a few more weeks!
Claire
P.s- have you checked that they aren’t laying in a ‘secret’ nest 🙂
My chickens have not been laying eggs for two to three years. We noticed that after our first chicken died, the egg production drastically decreased. They are very happy chickens, with a sunny coop, fresh food and water, food scraps ( we make sure we are careful with what we give them) and are free range. What may the problem be?
Hi Francesca,
It sounds to me like your hens are getting pretty old- most of my older girls have stopped laying now as well.
This is just nature’s way, when they get old their body stops producing eggs and there isn’t anything you can do to stop this unfortunately.
Claire
Hi there
We have 4 chickens. 2 austalorps and 2 isa browns. They are about 24 weeks old and one has been laying for 10 days now, the others however haven’t started yet.
We got them all together. I have noticed the 3 that arent laying seem to be dropping feathers alot. Could this be the reason? Even though they’re only 24 weeks?
Hi Beth,
If its only the occasional feather I wouldn’t worry. I’d expect they all start to lay in the next week or so 🙂
Claire
we have 13 free range chickens, and only 3 have been laying eggs for the past 2 months. It was suggested that we pen them in, which we have for the past 3 weeks, still only 3 eggs.
We have 4 nesting boxes, plenty of laying mash with cracked corn, fresh water is pumped into their troth daily, and a large area within their penned area. Is it possible that we need to be feeding them laying pellets instead of laying mash? Your help is greatly appreciated.
I am having problems with one hen. She lays an egg but when I get to the nest it is broken
Hi Gillian,
Try increasing the amount of bedding in the nest box- that should do the trick 🙂
Claire
My lovely 4 hens have stopped laying since the earthquake in Italy struck.. I live about 2 hours from the epicentre… we really felt the effects on the day.. they weren’t great layers before the earthquake on August 24th, but now nothing… they are fed commercial feed, have enough space in their coop, have fresh water daily, etc etc… 1 hen is a 18 months old and the rest are about 6 months old, and replaced three who were carried off by eagles in March. These three laid 3-4 eggs daily.. I was overrun with eggs… so first a feast and now a famine.. they free range for 12 hours a day… any suggestions?
Hi Maria,
I’m so sorry to hear about the earthquake and the effect it’s had on you.
Unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions, after a traumatic event there is no telling when hens will start to lay again.
Continue to feed them with high protein feed, keep them free from illness and make sure they have access to fresh water- this is all you can do.
Claire
Hi Claire,
My parents recently gave me two of their laying hens – I’m not sure what kind they are. They have been at my house for a week now and have quit laying eggs. They were laying before.
I know I might be being a bit premature. However, I wanted to ask – the coop at my parents was extremely large, the coop at my house is much smaller but still an adequate size for the two of them. Would adjusting to a new coop size effect the laying?
Thanks in advance,
Madison
Hi Madison,
It’s probably more the change in environment rather than the coop. Give them a few weeks to settle in and they should be laying again.
Claire
Kudos! My 168 hens are now 8 months old and not any sign. Kinda funny, but now from your advice let me try feeds high in protein. Thanks.
I just picked up 11 rhode island reds. Sunday. Monday had 1 egg Tuesday n Wednesday 2 eggs. I know it’s going to take a while for all of them to lay. I know the need to get used to the coop so they know it their new home. How long should I keep them cooped up before the go out to the pin. Also coop has no windows( should I put Windows in)
Hi Jeff,
I normally keep them in the coop for 24 hours until I let them out into the pen 🙂
Yes, if possible add a window but make sure it’s predator proof!
Best of luck,
Claire
I have 5 Leg horn hens that are 2 years old. None of the 5 have ever laid an egg. At this point I have tried higher protein food, they have plenty of water, should I just give up and face they probably will never lay?
Hi Kevin,
Some hens are later bloomers but 2 years!? Some hens never lay an egg but to have 5 at once that have never laid is unheard of…
The important thing is not just high protein but that also their other dietary needs are being met. This is why a complete layers pellet is the best way to go.
I would go this route and see how you get on,
Claire
My silkies are almost a year old and haven’t started laying yet I’m feeding them scratch feed
I have a hen that keeps missing the nesting box. She has been laying for about two weeks, but over the last week, she has missed the nesting box three or 4 times. Meaning that when she lays it it falls to the ground and breaks. I have 4 chickens, three are laying currently and one box. Any suggestions?
Hi Stacy,
Have you tried using rubber eggs to encourage her?
Claire
I have just started keeping chickens. I purchased 2 Pekin bantams and 2 brown lowmans 2 weeks ago from a well known chicken farm. I Feed them layers pellets, grit, plenty of fresh water and clean bedding. The bantams are laying but the lowmans aren’t. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Emma,
It might not be anything you’re doing wrong. Sometimes hens take a few weeks to adjust before they start laying again.
How old are they?
Claire
I have around 30 hens and none of them are laying. Some are 3 years old and some are 1 year old. I clean their water every day feed them cracked corn, and laying pellets, and occasionally grit with some scraps. Last month we had a bear and bobcat problem but shouldn’t they be laying again? What am I doing wrong with them?
Hi Kaitlyen,
My article here should help 🙂
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/7-reasons-why-your-chickens-stopped-laying-eggs/
Claire
I have a Lace Winged Wyandotte, not sure of her age, she was a gift. She produced well, stopped for 4 months while she molted and started laying 2 weeks ago, this past week end we had extremely cold temperatures and she has not layed an egg since the day before the cold snap(6 days ago). She acts perfectly normal in all ways. Could the extreme cold cause her to slow down or stop laying?
There should be an expected slow down in the cold. Please check out this article here https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-keep-hens-laying-eggs-through-the-winter/
Claire
Hi i live the info you provide very helpful. I have 6 hens and a rooster. Started with just the couple and she was doing very well laying a jumbo egg everyday. We intriduced 5 young hens and all seemed good, all of a sudden my original hen has turned just plain ole mean with all the new ones, she will not let them in the nesting boxes (she sits in all of the boxes btw) and so two days of no chickens laying…. they eat well, have a run and lots of water but they all seem angry….the rooster has started molting could this be the cause?
Sounds very broody, read our guide on broody chickens here it should solve your concern
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/6-ways-to-break-a-broody-hen/
and
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/what-exactly-is-a-broody-hen-and-how-to-stop-it/
let me know how it goes!
Claire
we have 3 hens that were originally broilers but we decided to make them layers at around 20 something weeks. they`ve been on layers mash for a month now and there`s still nothing. they are free-range and we give them treats at times. will they ever lay eggs?
Hey my hens are 2yr old and we had 4 to an 10 x 20 coop with an 5×8 laying hut but since one of my hens died by an cat they have not been laying it has been 2 months since the last egg and I’m getting worried about their health thr feed i use gives all the article says they need but nothing and I calt the cat that killed the hen and got ride of it via the animal control so what could I be missing
Hi just wondering almost all of these issues (flock dynamic, space, nutrition etc) are all thing I would imagine battery hens would struggle with, so how is it that they continue to lay? Thanks
Many factors, including automated lighting, feed calculated to perfection for egg production, and egg laying breeds specific for mass production. But I would not assume that they all lay 🙂
Claire
I have three chickens 26 weeks old and no eggs. i have done all you suggested and they are relaxed in the coop. They occasionally free range in the back yard. When should i expect them to begin laying? I gave them a healthy meal of protein laced dog biscuits with beef stock and still no eggs?
Am I to impatient? How can I tell if they are eating the eggs? I check daily and find no moist spots in the coop.
Hi I’m very Worried about my chickens as they are only laying 1-2 eggs a day (I have 6) Before this all of them were laying one per day, I am in need of desperate advice and help.
all thanks Harry
There could be a number of reasons why they aren’t laying. Here is some info.
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/7-reasons-why-your-chickens-stopped-laying-eggs/
Claire
I discovered that my hens love meat. So for protein I give them a small can of cat food (for 7 hens) and it’s gone in minutes.
Especially when they are growing new feathers when moulting in the fall. Is cat food OK? I They like all flavors but salmon seems to be the favorite.
Leftover bones are another favorite. And every afternoon I give them watermelon for a treat. As I’m California we get watermelons all year long. I have very happy chickens and plenty of eggs.
My birds started laying and after a month and some weeks they stopped laying. I don’t know why.
Does grinded cassava affect laying birds?
I have a lovely Wyandotte mixed with something (she looks a bit like a Dorking) who is nearly 8 months old. She has yet to lay an egg (she may have laid one about a month ago but I can’t be sure it was hers). She sits in the nesting area and makes a lovely nest but there’s never an egg. Her 2 friends regularly lay in the nesting area but never beautiful Betty. Any advice? Thanks.
I have 30 hens 20 weeks old what feed I give them to prepare them for laying
My hens are old enough to lay got 7 hens in which just one day they all payed eggs and now no more eggs. They have 20 percent protein water everyday and plenty of snacks but still no eggs has this happened before ?
My chickens are 20 weeks old. Not yet laying.
My question is,
We are going into winter, in Texas, if they haven’t started laying and the days are getting shorter, is it possible they won’t lay until spring?
Or should I expect eggs any day now.
I have 4- 6 month old Jungle fowl that have yet to lay an egg. They were stressed in a coop with a lot of other hens, then in small coop but now have a very large coop. I know they would rather free range but it’s not possible where I live. They have been in the big coop for 3 weeks, do they just need more time? They have 6 nesting boxes, high perches, huge yard.
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