Freeloaders

[urbanchickenadventure]

I've got a leghorn and a crevecour, both hens, who don't lay anymore. Curious if it's potentially a side effect of the only two having been pursued by predators this summer. The crevecour has always been odd and slow to start (broody and molting too, she's been our little handful). But the leghorn is usually tried and true. We stopped a raccoon attack on her but not before it pulled out most feather from around her vent and left a lot of scratches on it (in it maybe?). She laid a couple times since, but then quite. Acts very sad and much more timid as time goes on. Though she perks up and runs for treats and is still high in the pecking order. Checking her vent tomorrow for any signs of disease or parasites, but curious if being attacked can end a chickens laying for life?
Oh, she also will lay in the nesting box like she wants to put out an egg but never does. Poor girl, I feel badly for her.

 

[micstrachan]

I do wonder, since you mentioned she could possibly have been scratching inside her vent, if an infection of some sort has come about. Does her belly feel swollen with fluid at all? Please let us know how her vent looks. Has she molted yet this season?

 

[urbanchickenadventure]

If so then it's taken a long time to manifest since she was attacked over a month ago. I'll be looking at her more tomorrow, but she doesn't look swollen.
She is looking a bit molty. It's been tough, she's a cream leghorn and she always seems to have odd tone changes in her feathers. I believe she's due for a proper molt, however.

 

[CFLRanching]

It's prob just because they're molting right now (it looks like a chicken was massacred in our run with all the feathers they're dropping). We went from getting 14 to 22 eggs a day to maybe 2 (and most of those are bantams and our Easter Eggers. I think I'd give them the cooler season to let their bodies rest and recoup before I wrote them off. Also if they're older that will also determine if they're highlight of their laying capabilities is done.

 

[3KillerBs]

How old are they?

Many pullets lay through their first winter and the following summer and then molt at around 15-18 months and then every fall thereafter.

Some birds lay sporadically during their molt, others stop completely until all the feathers are fresh.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

How old are they?

Many pullets lay through their first winter and the following summer and then molt at around 15-18 months and then every fall thereafter.

Some birds lay sporadically during their molt, others stop completely until all the feathers are fresh.

This seems exactly like my flock! They laid all through their first winter. We are 18 months old and here we have our first molts happening (1 is not tho, shes the only layer). My 4 molting GLW's have stopped laying! Its not light until 7am tho . So, my one gal laying, Coppertop, goes in the henhouse yesterday to lay. I come outside at some point, call the hens, and single file, 4 come trotting out of the henhouse. My hens never go into henhouse except to lay and roost. What in the world were they doing? I suppose offering Coppertop moral support?? It was funny for sure. Coppertop goes to lay but nothing for the last couple days. Is THaT normal? A chicken lays but no egg? I cant see any indication of any issues. The chicken learning curve is for real!!