Hen suddenly stopped laying

HaleyKrueger

In the Brooder
7 Years
Aug 27, 2012
29
2
26
My 3 year old Australorpe Miss Marple, began laying in late Feb early March.
5-4 weeks back we realized that she isn't crouching anymore, and have since never seen her lay. Seems like she didn't lay for a very long time.
She doesn't seem as interested in our feed as usual, and I find her sitting around a lot, sometimes looking puffed up. Her crop is fine, she doesn't seem egg-bound, I did all the procedures for that - it's been a while now and I'm just not quite sure what's going on. I've been giving her nurtidrench by mouth sporadically for the last few weeks.

From what I can gather perhaps she isn't getting correct nutrients? She has access to feed, free range, oyster shells, and grit everyday. Sometimes our nesting boxes are crowded, maybe we need another one? But that doesn't explain her semi-lazy behavior. Maybe she's just looks lazier than the rest of the young ones?
The weather has been nice and warm here...

Any ideas?
 
Has she ever gone "broody" on you before? My Australorp stopped laying for a while before she went broody. But she would sit in the next box for an hour or so each day before she finally committed herself and would not get out of the nest box at all. She also got growly if you reached near her in the nest box.

My other guesses would be she is done laying at 3 years old?? I had a couple hens sold to me as being under 1 year old....but they never layed eggs and they were always just sitting around....I finally concluded they were beyond their laying years.

.....or she is eggbound which I know very little about. Maybe someone else has some ideas.
 
She's never been broody. But she's not acting interested in the nesting box or anything of the sort. She even hesitates to grab a worm...A WORM! It's so weird. She's been just sitting around, but eating a whole ton. She usually fills her crop up with stuff, but lately it's been pretty empty. But she'll eat treats - tuna, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.

I'm concerned with her sitting around...I think maybe something internal is going on that we can't figure out. Sigh.
 

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