Adult hen has never laid eggs, what??

[Houdini56]

When our little flock got down to one chicken last fall, we picked up two RIR/leghorn crosses who were anywhere from 9 to 18 months old. The day we brought them home (Halloween), one of them laid a nice green egg....then while in quarantine one of them went into molt, and no more eggs for a while. Eventually, after they were integrated into the main coop and everyone settled down, we started getting a green egg occasionally along with the brown egg we get almost daily from our last remaining Golden Comet (sex link). As the days got longer this year we settled into getting 4-5 green eggs a week along with the brown....but we are fairly positive the green is just from one of the new girls, and the other (named Grace) has only ever just laid a very small egg late last winter, then nothing more.

All three appear healthy and happy, they eat/drink well, poop normally, etc. They get free range time every day and we spent at least 30 minutes or longer sitting with them and observing them. The only "issue" is that this group has a very fluid pecking order, and from one day to the next it is hard to tell who's on bottom, top or middle....though the majority of the time we never see any serious issues between them like bullying.

I did a search here first, and read about internal laying which doesn't seem applicable based on how healthy Grace seems to be....and I also read that sometimes a hen will have hormonal issues and just not end up laying....a "dud" so to speak.

I guess what I'm wondering about is if there is any hope that Grace might still start laying. At best she is 16 months old, but could possibly be more like 2 years. Honestly, I think she's on the younger side as both the new girls had noticeable comb growth still happening over this last winter.

She's a bit of a prima donna but otherwise we like her. However, my partner is wondering if she's a permanent slacker, so to speak, and if so, do we want to hold onto her or not.

I look forward to hearing anyone's thoughts. Thank you!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Picture of Grace, in question.
Picture of eggs, are you sure the green egg is from the same layer? Check the shape & weight, not the color.

 

[Shadrach]

Some hens just don't lay eggs but are otherwise perfectly fit. I've had three non layers out of a hundred or so hens.
I was particulalry fond of the non layers, one of which became the lead hen of her tribe.

 

[Mrs. K]

Check her pelvic bones for space between them and vent. Look at all your birds, and you should see a difference if one is not laying. Pulling off the roost at night is easy, and it is a quick peak as to who is doing what.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Entirely possible to have dud hens that are otherwise healthy. I have a 3 yr old Sicilian Buttercup that may have laid once or twice (or it could've been a low pigment egg from another bird) but likely has never laid at all. Darn freeloader!

 

[aart]

I'm most curious as to how a RIR/leghorn cross lays a green egg.

 

[Houdini56]

I'm most curious as to how a RIR/leghorn cross lays a green egg.

They are actually Buff Orpington x RIR....I misspoke (well, actually, just didn't remember accurately, not an uncommon event!!).

 

[Houdini56]

Thank you all for chiming in. You learn something new every day if you pay attention! It's a disappointment, especially with only 3 hens....now my 5-yo Comet has gone off laying, so we may be down to one layer. We really don't enjoy the integration process with new birds, the pecking order establishment completely unnerves me, so....we will see!

 

[FunClucks]

Yeah, I'm gonna say, a buff orpington x RIR will NEVER lay a green egg. So you have something else in that bird's ancestry to lay that color egg. There's a blue egg layer in that ancestry somewhere. You could call her a barnyard mix, or non-standard easter egger, since she's laying green. (Easter eggers typically have beards and muffs, but a lot of new designer EEs have been coming out from the hatcheries lately that don't have those, and look like other breeds of bird).

As long as she's laying, it's all good.

For the hen you think is not laying - might consider crating her inside the run/coop. I use XXL wire dog crates inside my covered combo coop/run, and there's space for food, water, walking about a bit, a roost, and a place they can nest. Crate her for a week and see if she lays an egg during that time. If she stays pretty much where the other birds can see her most of the time, she won't lose her place in the pecking order, and you'll have solved a mystery. I think it's possible that you have two green egg layers, and they are taking turns, and their eggs look identical.

 

[aart]

They are actually Buff Orpington x RIR....I misspoke (well, actually, just didn't remember accurately, not an uncommon event!!).

Also not a cross that would lay green eggs.