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I don't know Richie but my youngest who has only been laying for less than a year, who laid all through the winter, has stopped laying completely. No sign of moulting so I don't know. Maybe it's time for a rest and hopefully she'll lay in the winter again.

they can do this - but worth checking for problems

any evidence of rats? (they'll make off with the eggs)

have you checked for red mite?

i have to say i wuold sugest red mite have you tried looking after they have gone to bedby tourch lite and you should see the little b####rs moving alternativly is there a white residue a peering around little cracks and crevises this is a tell tale sign of them.
if you have got red mite and don't mind chemicals you could try deosan deosect which is a fly replant for cattle but is bloody expensive and realy nasty stuff or i am waiting for a delivery of some stuff from this company( http://diatomx.co.uk/epages/eshop439661 ... Categories )and i will report back on it

I know why my girl stopped laying about 2 1/2 weeks ago - she's started moulting now!

Our stop when it gets too hot, but begin again after a couple of days of cool weather.

We are the same Richie, we have ten hens and yesterday they laid an insulting two eggs between them!

I just put it down to the heat.

It may be diet. Have you changed their brand of feed recently or started feeding them more 'treats'? There was an interesting article in the latest issued of the BHWT magazine where the editor tried an experiment just feeding hers the layers meal and did notice an increase in egg production. Also a useful article about red spider mite in the same issue.

Zoe

My ducks have suddenly stopped laying now too but moulting doesn't stop them laying, nor does hot or cold or anything. My chooks don't stop laying cos it's hot either. I put it down to one of those things - well actually it's sod's law cos I finally have someone who'll take my excess duck eggs instead of binning them and then they stop laying!!

Mine will have a break for two weeks - one hens starts slowing down followed by the rest but then everything is back to normal routine once they have a nice holiday. They don't lose much feather (Warren) and they are very polite huge eggs layers with no clucking - just get on and continue foraging. Very low maintenance girls just live for sourdough bread soaked in tons of milk with extra probiotic goodies.