I'm in southern California, and even here, my hens slow down laying in the winter months, it's their bodies giving them a natural break. A bunch of mine are also molting (dropping tails is the fashion here, it seems!), and hens don't lay while in molt. It could also be that they are upset with the thunder. Keep them warm, dry and secure to help reassure their little chicken souls. :) As stoneunhenged says, factory farms use artificial lights. Personally I let Nature take it's course and allow the hens to take the winter off, I feel it's a natural break that their bodies need. At less than a year old, your hens still have a lot of eggs ahead of them. As long as you are sure that they are not ill or suffering from worms or mites, things should perk up again in Spring. Hens can lay eggs internally, it's called egg peritonitis when an infection occurs internally from a broken egg that has escaped the oviduct. Usually this is fatal, and hens show very obvious signs of illness. So if yours are perking around like normal, I doubt if this is the case. Have you ruled out the possibility of a hidden nest somewhere? Maybe they ARE still laying! :) Velvet ~:>

Thanks for your input! I'm going to look up pictures of the eggs of the possible butterflies we have here to double-check. But in looking for a picture (my cell phone camera is kaput), I keep running across stink bugs. The eggs on my almond look just like these (better link later, too): http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/southern_green_stink_bug04.jpg We definitely have stink bugs in large numbers. Apparently they found the orchard. I might have to do a separate post, but if anyone is reading this and knows an IPM approach to stink bugs, please give a shout. My go-to insecticide is Spinosad because it preserves the beneficials well, but I don't think it works well on stink bugs. At least I can get the eggs off the trees, though! My trees aren't very big yet :) Here is a link that might be useful:

Katydids are not very social insects and do not gather in large groups and while they do eat plants they are also carnivores and eat other insects. If you are seeing some similar insect devouring a plant it most likely will not be Katydids Here is a link that might be useful: About Katydids

Hi- I have what appears to be the same bluebird pair come back to nest in a different box in my yard this year. These two have always been together by coming to my feeder & when building their nest. However, I have seen him in the last few days, but not anywhere around her or the nest box. He'll come to my courtyard to get mealworms or drink from the bird bath, but then flies off somewhere else while she is either in the box or perched up in the tree where she can see the box. It's as if they broke up. I'm worried that she's being left alone to deal with the situation. He doesn't come around to feed her or attend to her at all & I never see him perched up in the tree nearby like he was before. I put up the sparrow spooker after the 2nd egg & I'm wondering if he doesn't like it as I didn't have it last year when they nested in the courtyard. I'm perplexed as to what is happening. Has anyone ever encountered this? Should I tie up the streamers on sparrow spooker or take it down to see if he returns? I'm just afraid that once the babies hatch, she'll be on her on. I keep thinking, "No, of course he'll be there with her, but why isn't he with her right now when he always has been?" Like I said, I saw him twice today, but completely ignoring her & the nesting site. Please help! Very concerned! Nicole