Americauna hen's giving me fits

Hey all - I have 4 hens, about 10 months old. Two of them are ISA Browns and the other two are Americauna's. I've been getting (for 4-5 months) a solid 6 eggs a week from each of my ISA's. The Americauna's are a different story. One of them (Not sure which) was laying about 4 eggs a week. Then she got broody. It only took a few days to break her of residing in the nesting box but... two months later - she has never resumed laying. The other Americauna has NEVER laid.

I've done a considerable amount of reading and have yet to find an answer that makes sense to me. They all eat the same food (High quality layer crumble), have an all day/night supply of clean water. They free range during the day. That said, I locked them in the coop/run for almost a week just to re-acclimate them in the event that the Americauna had started to lay elsewhere. Still no eggs.

Thoughts on why the one would never have laid? Still hopes for her? How about the one that went broody but then never resumed egg laying?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!

Your 'Americaunas' are most likely Easter Eggers. Basically they are cross bred birds that may or may not carry the blue egg gene. They have been selected for color of egg laid rather than quantity. Depending upon genetic background some are moderately good egg layers and others not so much. They will never lay the weekly quantity that your ISA Browns will, but they may have a longer productive life as many of the sex link layers have a relatively short egg laying life. (Short as in a matter of a couple of years.)

Can you post a pic of the two birds in question?

Your EE may be laying brown eggs....
.....time to check vents and pelvic points to see if she is laying or not.

Check all your birds for comparison.

Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points 2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

Thanks! I'll post pics later today!

aart said:

Your EE may be laying brown eggs....
.....time to check vents and pelvic points to see if she is laying or not.

Check all your birds for comparison.

Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points 2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

Click to expand...

Thanks much! I'll investigate! I know the one was laying smaller "beige" eggs when she was laying.