Episode 167: Why Your Chickens Have Gone on Strike (and What You Can Do About It)

Have your hens suddenly stopped laying eggs? Before you panic and start questioning your chicken-keeping skills, take a breath.If it's winter, there's a good chance your girls haven't quit their jobs—they've simply gone on annual leave.In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ explains why egg production drops (or stops completely) during winter, what a molt actually is, how daylight affects laying, and the practical steps you can take to help your flock through the season.You'll learn:🐔 Why shorter days—not cold weather—are usually responsible for reduced egg production🐔 What happens during a molt and why hens need this natural rest period🐔 How to tell the difference between a molting hen and a sick hen🐔 The best high-protein foods to support feather regrowth🐔 Common mistakes that can make a molt last longer🐔 Whether artificial lighting is worth using in a backyard flock🐔 What to expect as spring approaches and egg production returnsIf you've opened the nesting box lately and found nothing but disappointment, this episode is for you.✅ Join the Mojo Homestead mailing list: www.mojohomestead.net✅ Upcoming book: Eggs Without Cartons – the complete guide to raising chickens for fresh backyard eggs✅ Current book: Ditch the Store: From Brooder to PlateRemember: winter doesn't last forever, and neither does a molt. Feed them well, keep them healthy, and the eggs will return.🎧 Subscribe to Ditch the Store for practical homesteading advice on chickens, gardening, self-sufficiency, food security, and living a more independent life.#DitchTheStore #BackyardChickens #ChickenKeeping #EggProduction #MoltingChickens #HomesteadingAustralia #SelfSufficiency #FarmLife #MojoHomestead #RaiseYourOwnFoodMentioned in this episode:Brooder to Plate - USA and Kindle https://amzn.to/44yQr2LBrooder to Plate - Aussie version https://amzn.to/4eTcGnw✅ Join the Mojo Homestead mailing list: www.mojohomestead.net✅ Upcoming book: Eggs Without Cartons – the complete guide to raising chickens for fresh backyard eggs✅ Current book: Ditch the Store: From Brooder to PlateBrooder to Plate - USA and Kindle ⁠https://amzn.to/44yQr2L⁠Brooder to Plate - Aussie version ⁠https://amzn.to/4eTcGnw⁠Remember: winter doesn't last forever, and neither does a molt. Feed them well, keep them healthy, and the eggs will return.🎧 Subscribe to Ditch the Store for practical homesteading advice on chickens, gardening, self-sufficiency, food security, and living a more independent life.#DitchTheStore #BackyardChickens #ChickenKeeping #EggProduction #MoltingChickens #HomesteadingAustralia #SelfSufficiency #FarmLife #MojoHomestead #RaiseYourOwnFood