10 month old hen hasn't laid in 7 days

[allebasi4]

My favorite girl Mamba hasn't laid in about 7 days.. ever since she was 6 months old she's been faithfully laying about 6 days a week. She's usually the first one in and out of the nesting box in the morning, and hasn't had any problems before. I've been watching her pretty closely since I noticed she stopped laying and she's been active/acting normal, eating, drinking, poops look fine (haven't noticed any worms), no mites, no injuries, I've felt her abdomen and it seems fine, crop seems fine. The only behavioral difference I've seen is that she doesn't really like the rooster anymore/doesn't want to be mated. She hasn't even showed interest in laying (I have a camera in the coop).
Also, I had been noticing a couple weeks before her stopping that her eggs were kind of weird... thinner shelled than normal and some had weird creases and thick spots (not IB wrinkled, but like extra calcium deposits) which made me think she isn't getting enough calcium, but it seems like she should regulate that herself with the oyster shells.
I introduced a couple new pullets about a month ago, though they've known each other for much longer. Mamba continued laying throughout the stress of the change but interestingly, she seems to have stopped laying when my new layer started. The new layer now lays every day in the morning, in Mamba's favorite nesting box, which would have been the time/place Mamba would lay her egg usually. Is it possible she's just thrown off from the new layer? Can chickens stop laying for a while and be fine?
They all eat flock raiser (because I have roosters and young birds) but they have free choice oyster shell and I give them yogurt pretty often.
Her worth isn't based on her egg production for me, but I just want her to be happy and healthy.
What do you think?

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Ok, don’t panic! Our chickens went through a period where they stop laying and we still don’t know why but you need to feed layer feed because it has more protein and they need that protein to lay an egg(20grams to lay one egg). I also recommend buying fly grubs as treats because they have LOTS of protein and I feed to my chickens at least 2 times a week, maybe more. Hope this helps with your problem.

 

[allebasi4]

Thanks for the reply! Encouraged me to look it up, but their feed actually has 20% protein which seems like it should be enough... she also eats (probably way too many) meal worms as treats. I’ll look into the fly grubs and probably try to find another source of calcium.. maybe she doesn’t like the oyster shells anymore..

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 10 months she could be hitting a juvenile molt which would slow or stop laying. As long as you don't see any changes in terms of health (lethargy, off behavior, not eating/drinking, etc) I wouldn't worry nor would I make any changes to diet... like 3 of 4 of my pullets have currently stopped laying (and 1 is obviously molting) but they're all acting normal, so I figure they'll start back up as days lengthen a bit more.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Thanks for the reply! Encouraged me to look it up, but their feed actually has 20% protein which seems like it should be enough... she also eats (probably way too many) meal worms as treats. I’ll look into the fly grubs and probably try to find another source of calcium.. maybe she doesn’t like the oyster shells anymore..

Tip for calcium/ grit

Crush and reuse the egg shells and bake them at 400 for about and hour. It’s a excellent source of calcium and very resourceful .

 

[allebasi4]

Tip for calcium/ grit

Crush and reuse the egg shells and bake them at 400 for about and hour. It’s a excellent source of calcium and very resourceful .

I’ll do that, thanks

 

[allebasi4]

At 10 months she could be hitting a juvenile molt which would slow or stop laying. As long as you don't see any changes in terms of health (lethargy, off behavior, not eating/drinking, etc) I wouldn't worry nor would I make any changes to diet... like 3 of 4 of my pullets have currently stopped laying (and 1 is obviously molting) but they're all acting normal, so I figure they'll start back up as days lengthen a bit more.

Interesting, I didn’t realize they could molt so young! Thanks for the info

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Interesting, I didn’t realize they could molt so young! Thanks for the info

Ya, 10 months does seem a bit early

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I’ll do that, thanks

No problem

 

[aart]

I'd guess partial molt, look around her neck for pin feathers.
Or she could just be taking a break, they do that.
Stress of unwanted amorous attention and new birds in the flock could also be part of it.

Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.