2 year old hen stopped laying

[LadyGunnar]

I have a 2 and half year old wyandotte hen. She has been a great egg layer. All winter, and at least 6 eggs a week otherwise. She hasn't laid an egg in 3 weeks. My other hens have been. None from her. She looks great. No mites, or lice or other bugs. I can't see anything wrong with her. She isn't acting broody. The only thing that I can think of is that I got rid of two baby roosters. She hates them and bloodied them up.

Is she just taking a break? This is so off from how she normally is. She has always been my dependable hen.

 

[azygous]

Yes, she's taking a break. A fall break, kind of like spring break for teenagers, only without the beer keg. It's called molt, and she's gearing up for replacing her outfit for the first time. The protein drain of growing new feathers places a drain on her body and will leave little protein left for egg making. By January or earlier, she will be newly outfitted and ready to belt out those eggs again, as only Wyandottes expertly do.

 

[LadyGunnar]

Yes, she's taking a break. A fall break, kind of like spring break for teenagers, only without the beer keg. It's called molt, and she's gearing up for replacing her outfit for the first time. The protein drain of growing new feathers places a drain on her body and will leave little protein left for egg making. By January or earlier, she will be newly outfitted and ready to belt out those eggs again, as only Wyandottes expertly do.

Okay. Thanks. I thought she molted early in the summer. She looked all scruffy and feathers were everywhere. She looks amazing right now. Do they molt twice a year?

 

[azygous]

They can molt anytime or even skip a year. I've seen everything. Molt is but one reason for a lack of eggs. The decreasing daily light may not be enough for your hen to be stimulated to produce egg laying hormones. January really is a turning point in the annual egg cycle as the days are starting to get longer then, and it can switch those hormones back on. So try to hold out until then.