Americana stopped laying

[Lizzylu]

Hello fellow chicken lovers. I'm new to this site and posting on forums in general, so please forgive me if this is the wrong place to post this. So Ill get right to it. I have an Americana (Marigold) who stopped laying back in mid September. She is only 10 months old and until then gave us 4-5 green eggs a week. My flock did go through fowl pox around that time and the expected decrease in egg laying did happen with all the ladies. Then around mid Oct Marigold molted, so I still didnt expect her to lay then either. However we are now mid Nov and I still havent seen an egg from her. She is eating, drinking, free ranging like nothing's wrong. She shows no signs of being broody, in fact I never see her in a nesting box at all. All my other ladies are healthy and paying. Marigold is pretty low in the pecking order and I've noticed she is crankier and more temperamental then she used to be. I'm really at a loss here, not idea why she's stopped laying. Any ideas or input would be really appreciated!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm really at a loss here, not idea why she's stopped laying. Any ideas or input would be really appreciated!

You already nailed the reasons why she has stopped laying. Don't expect return to lay until day light starts increasing again after December 21.

If you are using layer feed... I would consider switching to flock raiser or grower with a higher protein content and lower calcium, offering oyster shell on the side for still active layers.

4-5 eggs per week is not uncommon for very young layers. But the colored eggs take a bit longer and would expect closer to 3 eggs per week once she returns to lay. Also, I'm guessing she is actually an Easter Egger?? Said to be a representation of original Ameraucana. I have and love having both. Fantastic fun birds!

You could also add in more light hours if inducing lay is important to you. I prefer natural, but many folks on here do use that method.

 

[Lizzylu]

Thanks so much EggSighted4Life! I appreciate your advice! I do offer oyster shell already, but will try switching back to grower feed. I don’t want to induce laying, I prefer natural too. I guess I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing something. I’m thinking ur right about her being an EE too. Thanks again!

 

[SusanCranford]

I was just searching for a similar reason about my Americana. We usually get an egg every other day with Holler. She is the smallest of our flock but seems happy, eating, drinking but not visiting the nesting boxes. Our weather in north Texas has been a cycle of rain and very cloudy with the occasional sunny day. The other girls have dropped down to an egg every other day or every three days. They get supplemented with meal worms and greens from the garden. Is it the weather? Her eggs were very nice so we miss them.