Thanks to the snow storm that forced all the hens to stay indoors (a change to their free range lifestyle), the dark days that we have been having (thank goodness we are gaining daylight now AND getting some sunshine), the fact that I waited too late to get a light on them (I thought they were laying well and didn't really need the light yet), and due to dietary changes (I have sold a cow, dried off a cow and added more share members so they have not had any clabbered milk which gives them lots of protein) my hens have officially gone on strike. Out of 60+ hens, I am getting between four and eight eggs a day.
Any type of change can cause hens to go into a molt (and when they molt they don't lay) and unfortunately some of my tempermental little ladies are also molting and look like naked little birds. Poor things!
It won't be long and the sun will shine more and longer and the warmer weather will come and the hens will get back unto the spirit of things. Until then, we just are not going to have a whole lot of eggs available.