HELP!!!!!!!!!!! ALL of my hens have stopped laying eggs!

[apryl29]

LOL I was wondering that too, but the past several days I've had 3 eggs so we've pretty much returned to normal (minus one of my ladies who, incidentally, was the best/ most consistent layer) even though it's been pretty hot the past few days. I haven't gotten any more weird eggs w/o shells/ yolks, though I'm still concerned that one of them hasn't laid, but I did check her and I didn't feel an egg (I was worried she was egg bound). I've tried to watch for her 'leaking' and I haven't seen her do it, so I'm wondering if she's ok and she'll start laying again in time. She seems to be eating fine. I also just opened up a much larger area for them to graze in since I don't let them free range anymore. But the best news is that a neighbor down the street told me her neighbor shot a coyote over the weekend so hopefully it was the one who got my chicken & she's been avenged.

 

[Allymally]

You guys just helped me solve one problem with my pecking behaviour which is all sorted now thank you, but now another has occurred in the form of my broody hen, she has been broody for a couple of weeks now, I've done as was advised i.e. taking her out of the nest box in the morning, not allowing her access during the day etc but she still desperately seeks entry!! If she can't get in she just site on top of the coop for hours. Problem is my other girls can't use this particular nest box to lay which seems to have caused problems as for the past four days I have had NO eggs. I've searched everywhere thinking they may have laid elsewhere but can't find any signs, there's no signs of moulting, their combs are still large and red coloured. They have a good diet, but one of them has got runny poo?? Any advice . How do I check for worms?

 

[apryl29]

Is there any way you can remove her from the coup or section her off during the day / morning so the other ladies can have a go w/ the box. I have enough boxes for each bird to have their own, but at first they were only laying in one box, then someone started laying behind the feed bin and they all thought it was a great idea. I recently bought a box from the feed store and stuck it in that corner and all 4 of my layers are using that box now. I guess they all have favorites, or something. It reminds me of when my cat had kittens and we kept them in the box, then my brother's cat gets in the box w/ them to have her kittens b/c that's where you go to have kittens. Animals are so weird.

 

[Allymally]

Thanks Apryl29 yes they all have little idiosyncrasies, one of my girls likes to lay under the pampas grass which is a bit of a bummer trying to get to if I want to reach the egg!! I have room for six nest boxes but they all use the same one and broody has claimed it. Trouble is if I try closing it off the others don't seem interested in laying in any of the other boxes ??

 

[bigz1983]

I have 2 ISA Brown hens I got a from a friend last fall. My buddy didn't have a coop he had them under a tarp and had a bucket as a nest box. So he said I could take them for the winter. I had them September thru May and they laid one egg a day all winter for me.

Then he had a mini urban 2'x5' chicken coop given to him by his sister in the spring. So I gave those chickens back to him in May. They laid eggs everyday at his house then stopped after about a week.

He said he was going to butcher them so I took them back a week ago. They haven't laid any eggs for me yet at my house. Are they going through molt? I know they get stressed when there moved but they were at his house for 2 months and there only 1.5 years old. I posted a pic.

 

[Allymally]

The pic looks like they are happy enough, their combs are red which I thought were a sign of being ready to lay? Maybe they are a bit stressed with the move. Mine have only just started laying again after my broody took over the nesting box !!

 

[jdneiceltd]

I too just added 9 guinea hens to my flock of 10 hens and am almost instantly down to 1 or 2 eggs per day! Could that really be the problem? The guinea are still keets I wouldn't think it would be such an issue. I suppose if 9 strangers moved into my yard I'd stop laying too.

 

[apryl29]

I too just added 9 guinea hens to my flock of 10 hens and am almost instantly down to 1 or 2 eggs per day! Could that really be the problem? The guinea are still keets I wouldn't think it would be such an issue. I suppose if 9 strangers moved into my yard I'd stop laying too.

Ugh.. don't you wish they'd leave you a nice note saying 'Hey, can you do something about the squaters' instead of stopping production? It seems so strange that a bird that's regularly laid an egg a day suddenly close up shop. Do they get backed up? I would think that the yolks would still be developing inside them. Where do they go?

 

[bigz1983]

The ISA Brown's that my friend gave me back are laying a egg everyday now. It took about a week. It's strange that they stopped laying for 2 months at his house then I get them back and there laying again. Must be they missed there old flock mates

 

[Allymally]

At last! My broodys back to normal, she's out with the rest of the girls all day now but isn't laying again yet, her comb is tiny, looks all shrivelled up like a prune! The others are laying normally again thank goodness, I actually had to buy some eggs last week.... not good! So all quiet on the chicken front at the moment, for how long ? who knows ? I'll not hold my breath