My one year hen has completely stopped laying

[AZDesertChick]

I have a 13 month old Cream Legbar. She started laying normally at about 5 months and then I started seeing issues with her eggs breaking occasionally when she laid them and the ones that didn’t break usually had some amount of extra calcium deposit on either end. About three weeks ago she stopped laying entirely. She clearly wants to. She goes into the nest boxes and sits like she thinks she’s going to lay, but no egg. She seems healthy. She’s a little on the thin side (runs 1.7 to 1.8 kg) but she’s a Mediterranean breed and they tend to run a little slimmer. Some of her feathers are seeming a little tattered and I’ve wondered if she’s getting ready for an early molt. Her nails grow like weeds and we have to trim them every other week and they still get too long. She’s a total love and I don’t care if she never lays again, but I’m concerned something more serious might be wrong. Does anyone have any ideas what might be happening?

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot of this is judging her against other chickens of her breed and age. Thing is, this is probably genetic, and there really isn't much you can do about it, other than cull or keep.

Even in people - some age well, some do not. Sometimes it depends on how they live, their health habits, and sometimes it does not. Individual are just that and the same is true in chickens.

Mrs K

 

[AZDesertChick]

A lot of this is judging her against other chickens of her breed and age. Thing is, this is probably genetic, and there really isn't much you can do about it, other than cull or keep.

Even in people - some age well, some do not. Sometimes it depends on how they live, their health habits, and sometimes it does not. Individual are just that and the same is true in chickens.

Mrs K

Thanks. Genetics - or a genetic abnormality - is what I’ve been thinking. I wanted to get other opinions though in case I was missing something. Our girls are pets as much as anything so we’d never cull one. I’m just concerned about her being healthy.

 

[Mrs. K]

And if she isn't healthy - not a lot you can do about it. Just enjoy her, as long as she is acting good.

 

[MaritimeFlock]

Is the weather extremely cold right now? Is she going through a molt? It could be something else completely but I know these two things will cause my ladys to stop for a couple days. Our leghorn hasn’t laid in a week since she started molting.

 

[AZDesertChick]

No. We are in southern AZ, so it’s really mild right now. Her feathers are a little tattered but I’m not seeing any sign of a molt. I’m almost feeling like she just has a high metabolism, needs more food than a normal hen, but because she’s a new hen with several older ones is not getting as much food as she’d like. Given how spotty she laid before, calcium deposits on the ends of her shells, the fact that many of her eggs have very thin shells, and the way her nails grow like weeds - I just have this gut feeling that there is an underlying nutritional issue. I’m starting to pull her out of the coop and give her healthy treats. When I do, she eats like she’s starving even though we free feed.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

And if she isn't healthy - not a lot you can do about it. Just enjoy her, as long as she is acting good.

Also, if she is unwell, you will notice it. Her behavior will probably be off.

 

[gailburt]

You might check her for parasites. I’m just suggesting this because you say she seems very hungry despite being well fed.

 

[Stravager]

Might be a wild shot, but it could maybe be a calcium/phosphorous imbalance? Too much calcium can cause build up on the eggshells from what I understand... perhaps take a look at her diet that way?