Game hens stopped laying

[HMR1014]

Does anyone know if game hens are seasonal layers?

So last September someone dumped a flock of game hens at one of our local state parks. We ended up taking 3 hens. They started laying in December and have been consistent layers. We had to rehome one of the hens about a month ago because her and another dominant hen started fighting all the time and we couldn't get them to stop.

They have all stopped laying this past week, including the one we rehomed. Is this breed a seasonal layer? I don't really see any signs of molt. We don't know their history since they were dumped so I have no idea of their ages or anything.

 

[FunClucks]

All chickens are pretty much seasonal layers. They will lay through their first winter (most of the time) and then have a molt, which can be several months of not laying, around 18 months old or so. Then each year after that, they will molt in the middle of winter. You can encourage them to keep laying or delay molting by providing supplemental lighting in the coop through the winter - sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

It's possible your hens are molting but haven't started yet.

What are you feeding them? Malnourishment can also cause them to stop laying. Not saying you'd do that on purpose, but you mentioned you were new, so I thought I'd ask. A commercial chicken feed with 18-20% protein available free choice, with grit and oystershell on the side is recommended.

 

[HMR1014]

All chickens are pretty much seasonal layers. They will lay through their first winter (most of the time) and then have a molt, which can be several months of not laying, around 18 months old or so. Then each year after that, they will molt in the middle of winter. You can encourage them to keep laying or delay molting by providing supplemental lighting in the coop through the winter - sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

It's possible your hens are molting but haven't started yet.

What are you feeding them? Malnourishment can also cause them to stop laying. Not saying you'd do that on purpose, but you mentioned you were new, so I thought I'd ask. A commercial chicken feed with 18-20% protein available free choice, with grit and oystershell on the side is recommended.

I know chickens slow down typically in winter, but these were new to my flock and started laying in winter. The rest of my chickens are over 2 years old and I've had them since 2 days old so I know their typical pattern. I had talked to a person at my local TSC when I first got the game hens and she had mentioned them being spring/summer layers but I was confused because of when I got my first eggs from them. I feel like when I search online I don't get a ton of information on game hens.

And my flock is on all flock with grit and oyster shells so I don't think it's a nutrients thing.

 

[FunClucks]

Hmmm, well that's puzzling.

Could they be broody? Any illness, mites, lice, disease of any type?

 

[fluffycrow]

What type exactly?

 

[HMR1014]

Hmmm, well that's puzzling.

Could they be broody? Any illness, mites, lice, disease of any type?

One was broody a little while ago, but not anymore. And I didn't notice mites but I can check them.

 

[HMR1014]

What type exactly?

From what I've been told from others on this site, they're game hens. I've attached a picture of them.

 

[FunClucks]

Illness, disease, broodiness, molting, reproductive issues, sunlight/time of year, nutrition, age (they slow down and then stop laying past a certain age). Not sure what else it could be.

ETA also stress. Stress can interrupt or cause them to stop laying. Any stressors lately?

 

[HMR1014]

Illness, disease, broodiness, molting, reproductive issues, sunlight/time of year, nutrition, age (they slow down and then stop laying past a certain age). Not sure what else it could be.

They all seem healthy. Since it's also the other one that was rehomed, I was thinking it might be a breed thing. And they all had normal production until this past week. It's so weird.

 

[fluffycrow]

Yeah that's not what I was asking. That's not a specific type, but a whole group. Anyways, thanks for the photo, they're American games, can't narrow it down more, maybe some American game keepers can tell us. Typically we'd let the hens make a nest lay a good clutch and then go broody. Since (I assume) you're collecting eggs, their cycle might have finished