IncognitoMode4723
In the Brooder
- May 1, 2022
- 59
- 13
- 43
Mary, one of our three black australorp hens, seems to have
stopped laying eggs about a month ago. she seems to be
sitting down about 50 percent of the time when she's in
the run; however, when we open the run door to walk the
chickens, she runs out just like the other two, and chases
after bugs, runs around, wags her tail (she actually wags her
tail more than the other two), and does all the things a
happy and healthy chicken should do(as do the others).I have
looked up reasons a chicken might stop laying eggs. Some of
the reasons listed are diet, sunlight, stress, disease,
parasites, changes in routine, old age, breed, and molting.
We feed the all chickens Purina Layena layer pellets. It does
not seem as if Mary's appetite or the amount of food or
water she gets has changed since she stopped laying eggs.
she is only 21 months old, so age shouldn't be a problem.
As for molting, it can't be that either because she isn't
losing any feathers. Where we are, we are getting 13 hours of
sunlight, plus the other two chickens are laying so it
doesn't seem like a problem either.
The chickens get to walk
outside of their run for around 2 and a half to three hours
a day, and there is not much to cause them any stress. For
example; there isn't much threat from predators (we live in
the suburbs); there have been no additions to the "flock",
none of the chickens is especially aggressive; there are no
roosters so she cant be broody; the temperatures when she stopped laying were in
the 80s to 70s, temperatures they have all handled well;
their routine has had little to no change.
However a bunny keeps coming into the yard which seems to alarm them a little. He also poops in the yard.
Their breed, mentioned before is australorp, who lay a lot of
eggs, and they are all young so that couldn't be it.
parasites:
They don't seem to have parasites, they don't leave bloody
feathers around, they aren't lethargic, they don't preen
overly much, and i don't see anything on their skin or around
their vents, although i should check more often.
they don't really seem to have disease either, although i
suppose i am not one hundred percent sure. as i mentioned
earlier, Mary seems to sit often in the run, but she does
act energetic when she gets out. in their poo (i am not sure
it is all of them or 1 or 2 of them) i see a lot of small
yellow pieces. These pieces don't move, and i have seen- in our
backyard- a lot of plants that have small yellow seeds on
them, and i have seen the chickens eat them. The yellow pieces are probably seeds.
today, Mary dropped a yellow poo that was slightly more foamy poo than usual.
I saw one other odd looking poop several days ago. It looked like a red gel-like material in it. I have only seen this type of poop once or twice.
there was a couple times over the years they pooed in their
drinker and i forgot to clean it. i think i should probably
clean their drinker and feeder more often.
I also know that she is not laying eggs in a hidden spot because the hens do not walk in the yard unsupervised.
i don't know what is going on with Mary, but i am worried it
might be something bad.
please read all of the above and tell me your thoughts.
stopped laying eggs about a month ago. she seems to be
sitting down about 50 percent of the time when she's in
the run; however, when we open the run door to walk the
chickens, she runs out just like the other two, and chases
after bugs, runs around, wags her tail (she actually wags her
tail more than the other two), and does all the things a
happy and healthy chicken should do(as do the others).I have
looked up reasons a chicken might stop laying eggs. Some of
the reasons listed are diet, sunlight, stress, disease,
parasites, changes in routine, old age, breed, and molting.
We feed the all chickens Purina Layena layer pellets. It does
not seem as if Mary's appetite or the amount of food or
water she gets has changed since she stopped laying eggs.
she is only 21 months old, so age shouldn't be a problem.
As for molting, it can't be that either because she isn't
losing any feathers. Where we are, we are getting 13 hours of
sunlight, plus the other two chickens are laying so it
doesn't seem like a problem either.
The chickens get to walk
outside of their run for around 2 and a half to three hours
a day, and there is not much to cause them any stress. For
example; there isn't much threat from predators (we live in
the suburbs); there have been no additions to the "flock",
none of the chickens is especially aggressive; there are no
roosters so she cant be broody; the temperatures when she stopped laying were in
the 80s to 70s, temperatures they have all handled well;
their routine has had little to no change.
However a bunny keeps coming into the yard which seems to alarm them a little. He also poops in the yard.
Their breed, mentioned before is australorp, who lay a lot of
eggs, and they are all young so that couldn't be it.
parasites:
They don't seem to have parasites, they don't leave bloody
feathers around, they aren't lethargic, they don't preen
overly much, and i don't see anything on their skin or around
their vents, although i should check more often.
they don't really seem to have disease either, although i
suppose i am not one hundred percent sure. as i mentioned
earlier, Mary seems to sit often in the run, but she does
act energetic when she gets out. in their poo (i am not sure
it is all of them or 1 or 2 of them) i see a lot of small
yellow pieces. These pieces don't move, and i have seen- in our
backyard- a lot of plants that have small yellow seeds on
them, and i have seen the chickens eat them. The yellow pieces are probably seeds.
today, Mary dropped a yellow poo that was slightly more foamy poo than usual.
I saw one other odd looking poop several days ago. It looked like a red gel-like material in it. I have only seen this type of poop once or twice.
there was a couple times over the years they pooed in their
drinker and i forgot to clean it. i think i should probably
clean their drinker and feeder more often.
I also know that she is not laying eggs in a hidden spot because the hens do not walk in the yard unsupervised.
i don't know what is going on with Mary, but i am worried it
might be something bad.
please read all of the above and tell me your thoughts.
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