Changed my layer feed

[Rosetatt]

I have two easter eggers. Recently I changed their layer feed from the generic feed I purchase at the feed store to an
Organic Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Layer Feed, 25 lbs. The first time I fed them the new feed I mixed it with the old feed until I ran out of old. Now they are only on the new feed.
One of my easter egger has not layed an egg for two days. Should I be concerned? This has never happened before...

 

[The Chick Addict]

She is probably getting adjusted to the new feed... she should probably start laying again soon!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Assuming you are northern hemisphere, your light levels are dropping. Rate of lay tends to drop as that happens. The chickens may be "going out of season". I;m not particularly fond of that particular feed, but unlike some of the other organic soy free formulations, its merely borderline, not clearly deficient. and its used successfully by a moderate number of BYCers. Doubtful your feed is cause of the change in lay.

Correlation, as they say, is not causation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old is she? What is her laying history? How long has she been laying and how often does she typically lay? It sounds like she may be a new layer, just starting to lay. It is pretty common for their laying to be pretty erratic when they are just starting to lay. Is this a factor? Some hens only lay two or three eggs a week at best. Skipping a day would mean only one egg in three days.

I don't know where you are located or what your weather has been like. Extreme heat or extreme cold can cause them to reduce laying. Thunderstorms may frighten them enough to cause them to skip a day. A predator scare, even one you don't know about or an imaginary one, could upset her for a day or so.

Chickens generally don't like change. Since you gradually changed that feed the difference may not be enough to set her off laying for a bit but did anything else change? Any change in lighting especially could be significant.

It is later in the season if you are north of the equator. Some of that stuff could be affecting her. She may shut down laying for the winter.

Did you just not see the egg? Sometimes they can get lost in the nesting material. It happens. Or could she have started hiding a nest on you. That's a pretty common cause for us thinking they are not laying.

As you can probably tell I don't have a clue what is going on. And it is always a good thing to ask when you are concerned, it could be significant. Observe her, as long as she is acting normally she should be OK. But there are too many possible explanations for me to get concerned if she skips a few days.

 

[Rosetatt]

We are in south Florida. She's been a regular layer, every 26 hours or so since end of July 2022....usually 6 times a week, with one day without an egg. She did not lay one today, either. On the other hand, my other hen, had been laying normal sized eggs on the large side since September and today her egg was half its size. Like the size when they started laying. It's not as hot as it has been but its not cold either...

 

[Ridgerunner]

So she started laying this past summer, was a regular layer, and has now skipped three days. That's not what I'd call a new layer. And you are in Florida, the northern hemisphere. Mild weather. That eliminates a lot of things and points certain ways.

My first thought is the molt. Some pullets skip the molt their first fall/winter and keep laying throughout the winter. But some doesn't mean all. Are you seeing feathers floating around, that's sometimes the best way to tell? Molting generally starts at the head and works its way down the body.

I'll mention hiding a nest again. This is really common when we think they have quit laying.

I'll mention that some critter could be taking them but with others laying it's unlikely they would only take hers. I take it you are not finding evidence like bits of egg shell or wet spots in the nest. In Florida the typical critters that take an egg without leaving a trace are snakes, canines, and humans. A snake typically takes a few eggs, then goes off to digest them before coming back for more. I guess it is possible but a snake just doesn't feel right.

A fox or coyote will eat eggs but are more likely to be interested in your chickens. Probably not them. But a dog can eat eggs without harming the hens. Does a dog have access?

A human doesn't necessarily mean a stranger or a thief. Some people consider something like this a practical joke. That's happened more than once on here.

It's possible she is cutting back because of the shorter days but I'd consider it unlikely.

There are some diseases that could interfere with laying but as long as they are acting healthy this is unlikely.

To me it is most likely the molt but hiding a nest is still on the radar.

As for the small egg, if it is one off it is just a glitch. It may not even have a yolk when you crack it. Stuff like that happens. If it occurs regularly then something is going on, but I don't worry about an occasional glitch.