6 month old Pullet stopped laying

[lillykew]

Hello all!

I know questions like this are pretty common but I still wanted to ask in my own way.

I have 6 pullets. 2 EEs I bought in March, other 4 (OE and 3 Marans) were bought in late May. They were separate until late September when I managed to integrate them successfully. Up until that point, both EE were laying almost daily and had been for a month or so. Now, I'm getting only one green egg a day and two dark brown; I've only seen one of the EEs in the nesting box as well.

I think the EE that stopped laying might have gone into molt from the stress? She has some pin feathers on her head but otherwise her feathers are quite healthy looking. The only other thing I've noticed is that the EE that's still laying has filled out more and gotten quite a bit bigger than the one that stopped.

I'm confident that there's no bullying or fighting over food; the coop is right next to my house and they have two feeders as well as getting plenty of scraps and scratch.

At what point should I start being worried? She seems to be otherwise healthy/active. Are there more things I could be looking for?

 

[HolyHenHouse]

Hello all!

I know questions like this are pretty common but I still wanted to ask in my own way.

I have had this issue recently as well.

have 6 pullets. 2 EEs I bought in March, other 4 (OE and 3 Marans) were bought in late May. They were separate until late September when I managed to integrate them successfully. Up until that point, both EE were laying almost daily and had been for a month or so. Now, I'm getting only one green egg a day and two dark brown; I've only seen I've of the EEs in the nesting box as well.

is there a chance that they are laying somewhere else in the coup? or if they are free range they could have found a spot they like bette.

I think the EE that stopped laying might have gone into molt from the stress, she has some pin feathers on her head but otherwise her feathers are quite healthy looking. The only other thing I've noticed is that the EE that's still laying has filled out more and gotten quite a bit bigger than the one that stopped.

im not experienced with these things but could she be egg bound?


another thing that I was told when my hens laying slowed was that the shorter days will cause them to lay less.


I can tag some people to help!

 

[HolyHenHouse]

@Eggcessive

 

[Eggcessive]

What are you feeding them? Do you put some crushed oyster shell out for them in a separate container? Do they free range. In my flock my firat year pullets laid eggs for most of the winter. That is not always the case. Chickens do need about 12 hours of daylight in order to lay eggs. So the shorter days of light may cause some to not lay. It was a good suggestion to look for places they might be laying outside of the coop. I had a hen deposit about 20 eggs across the street in our barn once. She disappeared for several weeks, and we thought she had been taken, but then she brought her chicks out to show them off. If you are home a lot during the day, you can watch them to see if they are taking off away to a hiding place, or if they are going into the nest box. Stress can affect laying as well. She looks to have some feather picking or overmating going on.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Molt may have put a pause on her laying, plus even some pullets can be affected by shorter day length. She might pick up again in a couple weeks, or she might continue taking a break until days start getting longer as that will help trigger laying.

 

[lillykew]

Thank you everyone for your responses!

To answer some questions:
- they get limestone as calcium supplement
- she's not laying somewhere else (not free range)
- I live further south, and this started in September, and none of the other pullets have changed their laying habits, so I don't think it's light related but I'm not sure
- no rooster, but I do think she's just finished a molt. She doesn't have any bare spots but there is some exposed down
- they eat a high energy layer pellet with daily scratch and frequent fruits and veggies. They also get treats like peanuts sometimes

I'm not sure how to check if she's egg bound but I'll try to figure it out. I think she laid in other places a couple times before she stopped. Will chickens just stop laying if they don't like the nesting options?

 

[Anon112]

My Welsummers and my Ameracauna go on "strike" every year from about November to Fabruary/March. My two Easter Eggers have not stopped yet, but have distinctly slowed down their laying rate.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm not sure how to check if she's egg bound but I'll try to figure it out. I think she laid in other places a couple times before she stopped. Will chickens just stop laying if they don't like the nesting options?

You would know if she was eggbound, she'd be acting unwell and waddling around uncomfortably.

No chickens cannot stop laying if they don't like nesting options. If you lock them in a cage and they need to lay, they'll still lay regardless of the fact that there's no suitable spot to sit in.