1 Y/O hen hasn't laid in 7 months.

[SarahLadd]

I haven't seen an egg from my lavender orpington hen since very early spring when the snow was melting. My other two hens are laying just fine, so I'm not sure what to change. They free range my yard and have access to forage all day, and I feed them high grade organic layer feed with a handful of mealworms as treats every other day or so. I have water buckets all over the place to make sure there's ample access to water. She's eating, drinking, pooping, foraging with the other hens and has no observable abnormal behaviors. I have scoured the entire yard and henhouse looking for a "stash" where she may be just dumping eggs or at random and haven't found any stray eggs. She was laying in provided layboxes and just stopped one day. She doesn't have any bugs on her, the other hens don't either. Her poops look normal. I haven't changed anything, there are no new birds, no new stresses, I'm at a loss. What's her deal?

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Hoping someone else can weigh in for you!
(I had a little hen who went quite a long time without laying and she's still healthy and happy to this day)

 

[SarahLadd]

The only thing that I can think of is that she might have an internal parasite that the other two hens don't have. Is that possible?? She's the heaviest hen of my three birds, so I don't know what she could have. She weighs 7 pounds, my other two hens (ameraucana and welsummer) weigh about 5.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I'm unsure on that, but maybe someone else can weigh in on the way to tell if that might be the case?

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's the heaviest hen of my three birds, so I don't know what she could have. She weighs 7 pounds, my other two hens (ameraucana and welsummer) weigh about 5.

Fat can make it difficult for them to lay but if she's not showing signs of wanting to lay or any other signs of distress, she might just be a dud. She might start up again next spring or she might just be a pet for life.

 

[Acre4Me]

I have a 20 month old Black Jersey Giant whom hasn’t laid an egg since about Feb. she did lay eggs pretty well, but for whatever reason stopped. She was overmated by the rooster, with bald spots, then had a crop issue -almost died. Now crop issue is better, feathers regrown, but still no eggs. her comb still isn’t red again -it’s pink- so I don't think she’ll be producing eggs any time soon. I’ll give her until the spring to see if she starts laying again.

 

[SarahLadd]

I have a 20 month old Black Jersey Giant whom hasn’t laid an egg since about Feb. she did lay eggs pretty well, but for whatever reason stopped. She was overmated by the rooster, with bald spots, then had a crop issue -almost died. Now crop issue is better, feathers regrown, but still no eggs. her comb still isn’t red again -it’s pink- so I don't think she’ll be producing eggs any time soon. I’ll give her until the spring to see if she starts laying again.

Sounds like she went through some issues. I can't think of any illnesses or events that could've caused this. If comb color is an indicator of being able to lay, she has the darkest red comb and wattles of my three birds.

I have noticed that she tends to lift one leg when she walks in a funny way. Like, she brings it way up to her breast before she puts it down, about every ten steps. I'm not sure what this means but the internet can't tell me anything... I get everything from poor eyesight to eggbinding, but if it was a serious health issue like eggbinding she'd be dead by now wouldn't she?

 

[aart]

I get everything from poor eyesight to eggbinding, but if it was a serious health issue like eggbinding she'd be dead by now wouldn't she?

She would be very ill.

Have you checked her pelvic points...and just her abdomen in general for any swelling?
Lavender can have some oddities(from what I've read) maybe due to the breeding that makes them lavender.

 

[MandaH]

Lock them in a little longer, til say late afternoon, then let them out to forage and watch to see if she runs off to her special place. You might find her eggs

 

[SarahLadd]

Lock them in a little longer, til say late afternoon, then let them out to forage and watch to see if she runs off to her special place. You might find her eggs

What's really strange is, she spends time in the lay box every day. She'll sit in there for about an hour, acting like she's gonna do something, and then just... doesn't.