4 year old chicken done laying?

[eighthens525]

I have a 4 year old Easter Egger who has been a really solid layer. She has been laying all spring then started laying really thin shells, then dropping shell-less eggs at night, and now stopped all together for about 2 weeks. Do you think she's done laying forever??

 

[nuthatched]

She could have a reproduction issue. Or a soft molt.

 

[LilRedmamma]

She could have a reproduction issue. Or a soft molt.

Soft molt?
I have (uh my Comet hen has) a similar deal… flock of 3 fantastic layers for 1 1/2 years. One Leghorn died suddenly, and her mamma, Ms Boss took to bullying the C. I built a chunnel C loves, now Ms Boss tries to invade it. I alternate them. Issue is C lost a few head feathers, still held her own in the run(6x10’). I noticed her chest feathers got thin, upped her protein and then she stopped laying! Was this a soft molt? I scrubbed and refreshed bedding and nesting stuff for mites.

They both acted content. But still no egg this morning. Today I examined her as a non or laying hen.. she’s officially in the physical status of ‘non’. Will she reverse to lay again? I’ve read they can go for a month…but she’s not broody- I have no roo. Or is she headed for the inevitable? Her attitude is okay but slowed down.
Sorry I can repost this separately, got carried away.

 

[nuthatched]

Soft molt?
I have (uh my Comet hen has) a similar deal… flock of 3 fantastic layers for 1 1/2 years. One Leghorn died suddenly, and her mamma, Ms Boss took to bullying the C. I built a chunnel C loves, now Ms Boss tries to invade it. I alternate them. Issue is C lost a few head feathers, still held her own in the run(6x10’). I noticed her chest feathers got thin, upped her protein and then she stopped laying! Was this a soft molt? I scrubbed and refreshed bedding and nesting stuff for mites.

They both acted content. But still no egg this morning. Today I examined her as a non or laying hen.. she’s officially in the physical status of ‘non’. Will she reverse to lay again? I’ve read they can go for a month…but she’s not broody- I have no roo. Or is she headed for the inevitable? Her attitude is okay but slowed down.
Sorry I can repost this separately, got carried away.

Comets are high production, they rarely keep laying past 2 years, they usually die from reproduction issues.

 

[LilRedmamma]

Comets are high production, they rarely keep laying past 2 years, they usually die from reproduction issues.

Well it was good while it lasted... Guess I’ll learn how to cull.. bless ‘er heart.

 

[nuthatched]

Well it was good while it lasted... Guess I’ll learn how to cull.. bless ‘er heart.

She could live for a few years, she's just not laying. so she won't die from reproduction issues, I had a comet that lived to be almost 9 but she never laid a day in her life.

 

[LilRedmamma]

She could live for a few years, she's just not laying. so she won't die from reproduction issues, I had a comet that lived to be almost 9 but she never laid a day in her life.

Sounds like you preferred a feathered pet.

 

[nuthatched]

Sounds like you preferred a feathered pet.

We didn't realize she didn't lay, the was a mean and skittish thing. If we figured it out, she would have been gone.

 

[Chickassan]

Possibly could be, they're born with as many eggs as they're ever going to have and some do reach henapause earlier than others do.
I've had them stop at three or four and I've had them lay a full seven years.
It is totally individual to each bird.

I have a 4 year old Easter Egger who has been a really solid layer. She has been laying all spring then started laying really thin shells, then dropping shell-less eggs at night, and now stopped all together for about 2 weeks. Do you think she's done laying forever??

 

[CaroleW]

I've had comets and stars lay until they were about 5 or 6 years old (not everyday eggs like younger but 2-4 eggs/day for 6 hens). 2 of them lived to be 10 years old. So while bred for high egg production they can live longer and still produce. My current hybrids (I call them stars but they are something else but look similar) from 2020 lay about 5-6 eggs/day for 6 hens.

There is a guy on YT Edible Acres who uses a lot of rescued production hens (look to be stars and comets) in his chicken compost system, very happy hens - many still lay eggs for him.