25 MONTH old hens moulting and not laying

[newchickmomma4]

Hi all, I am new here, new to chicken keeping and feeling oh so very new . I adopted 4 adult laying hens about a month ago. 3 of the 4 have been steadily laying up until this week. The non-layer was at the very beginning of moulting when she came to me. The other three (that have been laying) started moulting this past week. I am on day 6 with no eggs ( I do know that they won't lay while moulting), what I am wondering is.....today I am doing general health checks on each of them (have gotten the two that will let me love on them done already this morning......the two that I have done so far their vents are bleached with pink centers, nice and moist and look perfect as far as what I've read up on on still being layers. HOWEVER, with both of them the space between their pubic bones is only 2 fingers wide, not 3. Will that spread out again when they are done laying or are they done with their laying life?

 

[NextGeneration]

Most chickens cease laying when they are moulting. If they are older, they will just lay less, so I would wait until they are done moulting to expect eggs.

 

[newchickmomma4]

Most chickens cease laying when they are moulting.  If they are older, they will just lay less, so I would wait until they are done moulting to expect eggs.:cd

Thank you! I knew that it is typical for hens to stop laying while molting. But if their pubic bone spread is only 2 fingers wide and not 3, will that widen again after they are done molting? Or does that mean they are done laying completely.

 

[newchickmomma4]

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[newchickmomma4]

I am hoping that someone can answer my question. I really need an answer and have looked and looked and looked and can't find an answer to this particular question. If my hens pelvic spread is currently only 2 fingers wide (indicating a non-layer) during moult, when they are done moulting will that spread out again and will they start laying again or are they spent? They are just over 2 years old and this is their first full moult. Their vents are bleached and moist and nice and open and big, not yellow and dry and narrow.

 

[keesmom]

You should get more eggs when they are done with their molt, but you won't get as many. Production goes down as they age. If they are one of the hybrid egg machines production goes down even more so with age. That's why many people replace hens when they reach 2 years old.

 

[newchickmomma4]

Thank you Keesmom, so yes, their pelvis will spread out again to allow for more egg laying. My ladies are silver laced wyandottes, RIR and black sexlink. So some hybrid, some not.

We have chicks coming next week and I just needed to find out if I need to increase my order or not?