Americanas not laying!!

[ssmith41068]

Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is okay during this crazy mixed up 2020 so far!! At the end of February, I purchased 6, less than a week old, pullets. The girls are now approximately 8 and half months old. Four of them are laying sometimes but I have 2 Americana girls that started laying then all of a sudden stopped laying at the beginning of September. I have not gotten an egg from either one of them since. They both eat and drink, have beautiful feathers, act like chickens, other than they are both at the bottom of the pecking order within the flock, I don't know what else could be wrong. I have searched all over the chicken yard but have not found any of their eggs. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions??? My next issue is that I have a cinnamon queen, just turned a year old in September, that tries to mate with 2 of my 8 month old girls!! I have no idea why this behavior is going on but I don't know what to do about it. The 8 month old pullets are not hurt at all but is this behavior normal? This hen is the only one that does this and she only does it to the same two pullets. Thoughts about this behavior??

 

[MysteryChicken]

Do you see any signs of them molting?

Your Cinnamon Queen most likely is showing her dominance by mounting them.

 

[swamphiker]

There may be nothing wrong at all with your pullets, some chickens will stop laying eggs as the days get shorter.

 

[Hei 20]

Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is okay during this crazy mixed up 2020 so far!! At the end of February, I purchased 6, less than a week old, pullets. The girls are now approximately 8 and half months old. Four of them are laying sometimes but I have 2 Americana girls that started laying then all of a sudden stopped laying at the beginning of September. I have not gotten an egg from either one of them since. They both eat and drink, have beautiful feathers, act like chickens, other than they are both at the bottom of the pecking order within the flock, I don't know what else could be wrong. I have searched all over the chicken yard but have not found any of their eggs. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions??? My next issue is that I have a cinnamon queen, just turned a year old in September, that tries to mate with 2 of my 8 month old girls!! I have no idea why this behavior is going on but I don't know what to do about it. The 8 month old pullets are not hurt at all but is this behavior normal? This hen is the only one that does this and she only does it to the same two pullets. Thoughts about this behavior??

Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is okay during this crazy mixed up 2020 so far!! At the end of February, I purchased 6, less than a week old, pullets. The girls are now approximately 8 and half months old. Four of them are laying sometimes but I have 2 Americana girls that started laying then all of a sudden stopped laying at the beginning of September. I have not gotten an egg from either one of them since. They both eat and drink, have beautiful feathers, act like chickens, other than they are both at the bottom of the pecking order within the flock, I don't know what else could be wrong. I have searched all over the chicken yard but have not found any of their eggs. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions??? My next issue is that I have a cinnamon queen, just turned a year old in September, that tries to mate with 2 of my 8 month old girls!! I have no idea why this behavior is going on but I don't know what to do about it. The 8 month old pullets are not hurt at all but is this behavior normal? This hen is the only one that does this and she only does it to the same two pullets. Thoughts about this behavior??

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don't know what else could be wrong. I have searched all over the chicken yard but have not found any of their eggs. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions???

Nature is taking it's course and it sounds like nothing is wrong.. lay hormone is light related and will start increasing again December 22nd... but productivity can be partly genetic.. Either add more light.. or simply be patient. Same way our own bodies don't always follow set guidelines.. neither do chickens. Easter Eggers, (Americana spelled incorrectly) have been inconsistent layers in my experience.. some leveling off well with maturity. But many (pullets) have laid gang busters with no days off early their first season and taken extended unanticipated breaks.. due to ZERO cause of my own.

My next issue is that I have a cinnamon queen, just turned a year old in September, that tries to mate with 2 of my 8 month old girls!! I have no idea why this behavior is going on but I don't know what to do about it. The 8 month old pullets are not hurt at all but is this behavior normal? This hen is the only one that does this and she only does it to the same two pullets. Thoughts about this behavior??

If you're positive the CQ is a pullet (not mislabeled breed cockerel, presumably at the stated age you already know for sure) then it is indeed a sign of dominance.. I personally WON'T tolerate ladies mounting other ladies or cockerel mounting other cockerels for that matter in MY flock.. That behavior is cause for elimination and they will be culled either to another home with disclosure or to my soup pot. Period..

There is no reason for it. I've had hundreds of birds.. and only one gal (a production red) who insisted on mounting another 1 or 2 subordinate ladies.. By God.. I won't rooster over mate my hens I'll be darned if I'm gonna let another gal do it.. That's stressful to the flock IMO.. and not beneficial to anyone in anyway.

While I personally am more likely to deal with the offender as I think it stinks that everyone pays for the few's offenses in life.. for some folks rehoming the two ladies who are getting mounted might be an option.

I'm not sure if there are any actions that might be taken on your part to ALTER the behavior.. like sit and watch and every time the CQ starts up.. hit her with a stream of water from a squirt bottle.. something she doesn't associate as coming from you but yet gets her attention and redirects her focus until she gets message??

Not sure if my suggestions are completely tailored to you since I don't know how you feel about the individuals, supplemental lighting, etc.. but hopefully give you some things to consider and decide what makes the most sense for YOUR flock.. A peaceful flock is worth is weight in gold to keeper.. I never ever regret the choice to stop trouble makers from terrorizing ME. Hope your flock finds peace also!

 

[ssmith41068]

Do you see any signs of them molting?

Your Cinnamon Queen most likely is showing her dominance by mounting them.

So sorry I am just now getting around to reading your response!! I'm not seeing any signs of my Americana molting. I have 4 hens that going through a minor molt right now but the feathers I'm seeing don't match my Americana.

 

[ssmith41068]

Nature is taking it's course and it sounds like nothing is wrong.. lay hormone is light related and will start increasing again December 22nd... but productivity can be partly genetic.. Either add more light.. or simply be patient. Same way our own bodies don't always follow set guidelines.. neither do chickens. Easter Eggers, (Americana spelled incorrectly) have been inconsistent layers in my experience.. some leveling off well with maturity. But many (pullets) have laid gang busters with no days off early their first season and taken extended unanticipated breaks.. due to ZERO cause of my own.


If you're positive the CQ is a pullet (not mislabeled breed cockerel, presumably at the stated age you already know for sure) then it is indeed a sign of dominance.. I personally WON'T tolerate ladies mounting other ladies or cockerel mounting other cockerels for that matter in MY flock.. That behavior is cause for elimination and they will be culled either to another home with disclosure or to my soup pot. Period..

There is no reason for it. I've had hundreds of birds.. and only one gal (a production red) who insisted on mounting another 1 or 2 subordinate ladies.. By God.. I won't rooster over mate my hens I'll be darned if I'm gonna let another gal do it.. That's stressful to the flock IMO.. and not beneficial to anyone in anyway.

While I personally am more likely to deal with the offender as I think it stinks that everyone pays for the few's offenses in life.. for some folks rehoming the two ladies who are getting mounted might be an option.

I'm not sure if there are any actions that might be taken on your part to ALTER the behavior.. like sit and watch and every time the CQ starts up.. hit her with a stream of water from a squirt bottle.. something she doesn't associate as coming from you but yet gets her attention and redirects her focus until she gets message??

Not sure if my suggestions are completely tailored to you since I don't know how you feel about the individuals, supplemental lighting, etc.. but hopefully give you some things to consider and decide what makes the most sense for YOUR flock.. A peaceful flock is worth is weight in gold to keeper.. I never ever regret the choice to stop trouble makers from terrorizing ME. Hope your flock finds peace also!

Thank you so much for all the info. I believe I will be patient and let my Americana gals hang out and lay when they are ready. I'm in no hurry. I'm getting plenty of eggs a day to take care of my family. As far as the CQ is concerned, she maybe finding a new home in my stock pot!!!! I want all my girls happy and healthy. I got rid of a rooster that liked to beat up on my girls, so I have no problem getting rid of a hen that is a bully as well.