animalgrl
Songster
- Jun 7, 2015
- 174
- 34
- 109
Hi,
I am trying to figure out why my girls aren't laying. I have four hens, 2 are approximately 5 months old, so hopefully they will start laying soon. My question is regarding the other two. First, a little about my setup. I have a house type coop, approximately 8 sq. feet inside with one next box and one roost. Maybe a little on the small side, but they basically are only in there to sleep. The coop is inside a 9 by 15 (135 square feet) covered dirt/grass run which butts up against a very tall wooden fence on one end. That end is also covered with a tarp. The other end is covered only with chicken wire. There are three foot high wooden sides on three of two of the other sides, and a chain link fence on the fourth side. Much of the run is in shade all day, but about half of it gets direct sunlight mid morning through mid afternoon, and indirect sun the rest of the day. I have two feeders and waterers in the run, and feed Modesto Milling layer crumble and have oyster shell and grit available. Occasionally I feed greens or fruit scraps.
Now for my questions about the girls who aren't laying. Clucky is a red sex link, age unknown (she showed up as a stray and we couldn't figure out where she came from or find her a home, so we kept her). She showed up around new years eve, so has been with us approximately 6 months. She was laying 5 or 6 eggs a week, sometimes more than one egg a day. About 4 months ago I took her to the vet just to check her out, and we wormed her (don't remember the wormer used, but was prescribed by the vet). After the vet visit she stopped laying for a about two weeks, and I chalked it up to stress. Then she started laying again, but was laying very thin shelled or shell less eggs. Then she went through a period of about two weeks of laying fairly normal, but thin shelled (especially at the pointy end, where just touching it would break through the shell). Then she stopped laying again. She has laid only one egg in the past two months and I found it broken in the coop. Not sure if the shell was thin and it broke, or if it was broken because my Cream Legbar ate it (her head was covered in yolk). Does anyone have any ideas? The vet thought it may be age, since we don't know her age, but I thought it was odd for her to go from about 5 eggs a week to 0 eggs a week overnight. She is active and eating well and otherwise seems healthy. I thought she may be molting because her feathers are a little raggedy, but it has been going on for so long. I did treat her with permethrin for lice twice about 3 months ago.
The second hen not laying is my Cream Legbar, Angel. I have had her about 8 weeks. Not sure of her exact age, but the woman I got her from said she hatched in the beginning of November 2014, making her almost 8 months old. She has not laid at all. She appears healthy, is very curious and active, and eats well. Don't know why she isn't laying yet, as she seems to be on the older end of the beginning laying age. I may be overreacting, but I'm eagerly awaiting eggs!
Sorry for the long post. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Thank you!
I am trying to figure out why my girls aren't laying. I have four hens, 2 are approximately 5 months old, so hopefully they will start laying soon. My question is regarding the other two. First, a little about my setup. I have a house type coop, approximately 8 sq. feet inside with one next box and one roost. Maybe a little on the small side, but they basically are only in there to sleep. The coop is inside a 9 by 15 (135 square feet) covered dirt/grass run which butts up against a very tall wooden fence on one end. That end is also covered with a tarp. The other end is covered only with chicken wire. There are three foot high wooden sides on three of two of the other sides, and a chain link fence on the fourth side. Much of the run is in shade all day, but about half of it gets direct sunlight mid morning through mid afternoon, and indirect sun the rest of the day. I have two feeders and waterers in the run, and feed Modesto Milling layer crumble and have oyster shell and grit available. Occasionally I feed greens or fruit scraps.
Now for my questions about the girls who aren't laying. Clucky is a red sex link, age unknown (she showed up as a stray and we couldn't figure out where she came from or find her a home, so we kept her). She showed up around new years eve, so has been with us approximately 6 months. She was laying 5 or 6 eggs a week, sometimes more than one egg a day. About 4 months ago I took her to the vet just to check her out, and we wormed her (don't remember the wormer used, but was prescribed by the vet). After the vet visit she stopped laying for a about two weeks, and I chalked it up to stress. Then she started laying again, but was laying very thin shelled or shell less eggs. Then she went through a period of about two weeks of laying fairly normal, but thin shelled (especially at the pointy end, where just touching it would break through the shell). Then she stopped laying again. She has laid only one egg in the past two months and I found it broken in the coop. Not sure if the shell was thin and it broke, or if it was broken because my Cream Legbar ate it (her head was covered in yolk). Does anyone have any ideas? The vet thought it may be age, since we don't know her age, but I thought it was odd for her to go from about 5 eggs a week to 0 eggs a week overnight. She is active and eating well and otherwise seems healthy. I thought she may be molting because her feathers are a little raggedy, but it has been going on for so long. I did treat her with permethrin for lice twice about 3 months ago.
The second hen not laying is my Cream Legbar, Angel. I have had her about 8 weeks. Not sure of her exact age, but the woman I got her from said she hatched in the beginning of November 2014, making her almost 8 months old. She has not laid at all. She appears healthy, is very curious and active, and eats well. Don't know why she isn't laying yet, as she seems to be on the older end of the beginning laying age. I may be overreacting, but I'm eagerly awaiting eggs!
Sorry for the long post. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Thank you!
