Ameraucana not laying

[Dalluge56]

Hi,

Our Ameraucana stopped laying a few months ago and over the last month has almost exclusively stayed in one of the nesting boxes. I thought she was being broody but I'm starting to get concerned. I take her out and she eats and drink, goes to the bathroom fine. But day and night stays in one of the nesting boxes. I did notice one of our others going after her when she is out of the coop. Here is a picture of her and all of her head feathers have come out too. I don't think our other chicken pecked them out. Any thoughts on what might be going on with her?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Spending day and night in the nest and not laying usually indicates broodiness.
If you don't have fertile eggs or want chicks, it is best to break her.
Since it has been a month, you want to do it now.
An elevated wire bottom cage will do the trick.

 

[Dalluge56]

Spending day and night in the nest and not laying usually indicates broodiness.
If you don't have fertile eggs or want chicks, it is best to break her.
Since it has been a month, you want to do it now.
An elevated wire bottom cage will do the trick.

For how long?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As long as it takes. Usually when you do it right away, it takes about 2 days. If they've been broody a long time, it may take 4 or more days.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Have you checked her really well for mites? Her feather look like they have some pretty heavy damage.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Not laying and sitting so long could kick start molt this time of year if in the northern hemisphere.

 

[Dalluge56]

Have you checked her really well for mites? Her feather look like they have some pretty heavy damage.

Yes on several occasions. At night and during the day. I know, we've never understood why she lost them and then assumed it was molting. We are located in Northern CA.

 

[aart]

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
A chunk of 2x4 was added as a roost across floor of crate, to give a break from the wire floor on feet.