4 months of no eggs from EE

[countryroots]

I have read some of the other threads about molting, and they say that it is normal for a chicken to stop laying while molting. Okay. I can handle that. But it has been 4 months since my EE laid an egg! The last egg we got from her was May 2nd. We purchased her as a feed-store chick 7/7/11, so she is just over a year old. She did molt- her tail feathers are just about done coming back in, but we got the last egg from her the day before we lost another hen to injury. We had 7 hens and 4 pullets at that time and the one we lost was low-hen on the big girl totem pole, which put this one just above the babies. Could the shift in status cause her to stop laying, in addition to the molt? Should I just keep waiting, or do you think there could be another problem I'm not seeing?

 

[countryroots]

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I've only had chickens for about 15 months now, and I am lost.

 

[NJchixs]

Could something be stressing her? I'm sorry other than the molting or stress I'm not sure either since I'm too new.

 

[countryroots]

It has been pretty dang hot around here, but I have tried to keep their water fresh & filled. I don't think there are any other stressors, but I don't usually think like a chicken

so I could be missing something. Her weight seems fine, but she really hates being picked up (and the others attack me when I try- what the heck?!) so I can't give her a good, thorough check without backup. I guess I'll have to put that on the schedule for the weekend. Thanks for replying, NJchixs.