7 months without an egg

[Cryss]

My Easter Egger Henneth Fowltrow is 14 months old. Once she started laying eggs she laid a beautiful green egg almost every single day. That is until Labor Day. That was the last time she laid an egg. Its been just shy of 7 months. In November she was bullied but I was able to get that under control in about 8 weeks of effort. I would think that would not still be an issue for Henneth. She eats well, poops well, is fully feathered and, frankly, gorgeous. She even started squatting again for me or my husband. She's been doing that now for about a month. Why would she become a dud now? I feed back egg shells and there is a dispenser always full of oyster shell. I've tried upping a bit of protein with dried mealworms and cat kibble. What now? She is hubby's favorite so she won't be invited to dinner just because she doesn't pull her weight. She's a diva as her name implies.
But will she ever lay again? Any advice?

 

[fldiver97]

Are her comb and wattles red again or still pale? If not she may need a little more time. Other possibilities are egg bound and from what you’re describing it doesn’t sound like she’s having trouble. Or .... my favorite - is it possible that she has a hidden nest? Some dark area of the coop or run or anywhere she can go... Check high and low, chickens can find the oddest places to lay. Could also be that she’s just not laying due to some other problem but I would suspect otherwise. I had one EE that was the total late bloomer, I thought she would never start laying. One of my other gals took a almost 5 month break one winter......

 

[Ms Biddy]

Has she been sick? Infectious bronchitis is a fairly mild illness but it can cause hens to lay less or not at all.

 

[Cryss]

Are her comb and wattles red again or still pale? If not she may need a little more time. Other possibilities are egg bound and from what you’re describing it doesn’t sound like she’s having trouble. Or .... my favorite - is it possible that she has a hidden nest? Some dark area of the coop or run or anywhere she can go... Check high and low, chickens can find the oddest places to lay. Could also be that she’s just not laying due to some other problem but I would suspect otherwise. I had one EE that was the total late bloomer, I thought she would never start laying. One of my other gals took a almost 5 month break one winter......

Comb and wattles never went pale. She did a bit of molting last fall but even then had a nice red comb and wattle. I doubt she's egg bound. As for hiding eggs...hmmmm. Not too many hiding places in the coop or run but one spot comes to mind. I don't think we'll find any but we'll have to check it out Sunday.

Has she been sick? Infectious bronchitis is a fairly mild illness but it can cause hens to lay less or not at all.

She hasn't been sick thankfully. If we don't find hidden eggs I might have to accept she's a dud.

 

[aart]

EE's can be great layers...or not.
Have had a few that laid for a few weeks then a few weeks off.
Did she molt?
What is their regular ration?
Are you getting any 'extra' blue eggs?
Might be good to give her an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Cryss]

EE's can be great layers...or not.
Have had a few that laid for a few weeks then a few weeks off.
Did she molt?
What is their regular ration?
Are you getting any 'extra' blue eggs?
Might be good to give her an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

As mentioned, she had a bit of a molt, not a full on molt. She was only about 9-10 months old.
Ration? If you mean feed, start and grow with, as mentioned, egg shells and oyster shell continuously available, a bit of extra protein via dried mealworms and cat food every couple days in the past 2 weeks or so.
Extra blue eggs? She is the only EE I have. She is not laying any eggs, so, no extras. As for blue, I've always said they were green, hubby says blue.
Butt check. As for who is or isn't laying I know she isn't. All other egg layers lay varying shades of brown. Hers were always green. She laid an egg a day from early spring of '18 to Labor Day of '18. Would her Butt return to non laying dimensions?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Sounds like she’s sort of a seasonal layer.
My game hen Charlotte is like that. Laid a dozen eggs, went broody, hatched the chicks, weaned them at 6 weeks of age, laid a dozen eggs, went broody, I broke her because I didn’t feel she had gained enough weight back, haven’t gotten an egg from her since.
I have a rescue Bantam hen, Angelina, who I had for 7 months before she laid her first egg.
If Henneth is squatting that is a very good indication that she will be laying soon.
How many nest boxes do you have?

 

[Cryss]

Sounds like she’s sort of a seasonal layer.
My game hen Charlotte is like that. Laid a dozen eggs, went broody, hatched the chicks, weaned them at 6 weeks of age, laid a dozen eggs, went broody, I broke her because I didn’t feel she had gained enough weight back, haven’t gotten an egg from her since.
I have a rescue Bantam hen, Angelina, who I had for 7 months before she laid her first egg.
If Henneth is squatting that is a very good indication that she will be laying soon.
How many nest boxes do you have?

It was 3 boxes but I took the divider out between 2 making it bigger. They all like just the single sized nest anyway. Odd though, they dig a beautiful nest bowl in the enlarged one, then go lay their eggs in the single sized nest.
So here's hoping!

 

[aart]

Ration? If you mean feed, start and grow with, as mentioned

So.... 20% protein?

Extra blue eggs? She is the only EE I have.

Ah, ok. Green eggs without coating are blue, is why I asked.

Butt check. As for who is or isn't laying I know she isn't.

Pelvic bones to double check because of red comb and squatting, and just an overall exam.

Just some suggestions.

 

[Cryss]

So.... 20% protein?

Ah, ok. Green eggs without coating are blue, is why I asked.

Pelvic bones to double check because of red comb and squatting, and just an overall exam.

Just some suggestions.

Start and grow lists 18%protein. I'm not sure how much more the mealworms and cat food are averaging.
Ah! So you meant extra color, not extra eggs! Sorry about that misunderstanding! I can't say I remember the shade of blue or green from her last egg last September. But that might explain hubby's insistence they are blue. He has said that since egg #1. Wishful thinking, she's not an Amauracana.
So her pelvic bones would/could shrink back? I've checked her over for general health but didn't think at this point her pelvis needed to be measured. If it's something that can happen I'll give that a look tomorrow. I'll be in work today.