Advice please!

[dreamyj]

My girls have me concerned. They are 1 1/2 yrs old. 3 br, 1 bo, 1 light brahma, 2 ba. One of the ba has babies so she is fine. But the others seem to be having laying issues. They get in nest box daily, sit awhile then exit and sing the egg song. I run out to get the eggs excitedly only to find nothing. I have read ALOT here on byc and have to admit I am overwhelmed as to what could be our problem. I would love suggestions as to what I should do to help them. Otherwise they seem perfectly healthy. This is happening over a period of time. Started with 1 br, then bo. Just in the last 3 days, the brahma. I have been worrying about this terribly.

 

[21hens-incharge]

No need to worry it is molting time for your young birds. At about 18 months old they go through the adult molt and fall has them in full molt swing. This is something they must do as they need the winter feathers.
Are you seeing feathers laying about the pen or yard? That would be a sure sign that molting is happening. Some molt fast and hard but the slow molting ones can be hard to tell they are even losing feathers.

It takes some patience but they will get back to laying. Mine tend to take the whole winter off of laying which is frustrating a bit.

 

[chickens really]

Funny you started a Thread about this....I have an EE pullet that I locked in a crate today because I think she lays an egg and the other EE eats it as fast as she can...Egg song and zero eggs...I caught both of them right behind my Speckled Sussex yesterday as she was laying her egg in a corner on the floor...If this continues? Both EE hens will be removed from my flock...

Cheers!

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm guessing you're dealing with molting birds. It's that time of year, and they're at that age. If they seem healthy otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[dreamyj]

I pray you are right. I am terrified that they have internal laying problem and I can't bear the thought of watching them slowly deteriorate. Thanks for responding.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've had plenty of hens fake laying eggs, I wouldn't worry about it. If your birds are sick you would definitely know it, internal layers walk like penguin and look miserable, and often can't get into the nestboxes because of the extra weight.