Black Astralorp stopped laying

[member 365637]

My wonderful layer a coming 3yo Black Astralorp has stopped laying all of a sudden. She is not moulting. She started laying mid-February, nice big eggs at about 3-4 eggs/week then in the past 2.5 weeks she hasn't lay an egg at all. Her hen mates, an Ameraucan of the same age is laying her usual 4 eggs a week and a year younger Ameraucana mix (don't really know her breed at all) is laying 4-5 eggs/week. We have had funky weather with warm then snow then warm then snow. We live in Northeast MA. Any ideas on how to figure out the problem? She seems healthy otherwise.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

Can you post an image of her? Many so called Australorps are black commercial Hybrids that stop laying at 2 to 3 years of age. Otherwise she could have started molting already and has stopped laying as replacing all of her feathers and laying would put too much strain on them.

 

[member 365637]

 

[member 365637]

She went through her full molt over the winter. She has some pin feathers still on her head but she was laying then stopped.

 

[tigger19687]

Hi from Bedford !
Could you have a Jersey Giant ?
What color are the bottoms of the feet, and color of the skin?

 

[member 365637]

Hi tigger19687! She definitely has graysish to pinkish white bottom of the feet NOT yellow.

 

[aart]

Nice looking bird...no matter the breed.

Why she stopped, not sure.
Are you sure she stopped?
Do you free range?

Have a peek and feel at the nethers.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[member 365637]

Hi Aart, I will take a look at the "nether" tomorrow. She is the sweetest and tamest of my 3 hens. No I don't free range, too many hawks and coy-wolves in the conservation land we back up to. She has been a spectacular layer for her first 2 years and was the first to lay after they'd all molted November, December and January. And she lay beautiful eggs from the get go. Then 2 weeks ago she stopped laying. The other two are laying regularly and she sometimes goes in the coop with one of them when they are in for laying.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My BA will lay like gang busters for 2-3 weeks then stop seems since she turned 5 this year she needs more of a break. She will start back probably just taking a rest.

 

[member 365637]

Miss Lydia, Thanks for your response. Gives me hope! Will still take a look at her vent area to make sure nothing is amiss there but I doubt it.