Broken Bird

[Disheygirl]

I think I have a broken bird. This is Cardi. She’s about 7.5 months old. She started laying at about five months - laid for a month, and went broody. I pulled her off the nest and put her in a wire bottom cage for one night and that was that. No more brooding, but also no more laying. Her flock mates have all been laying as normal. Doesn’t do that squat thing any more either like she did before and like her laying sisters do.

The one thing I noticed is how small her comb is compared to her sisters and pics of other Australorps. Her sisters are different breeds, but still a big difference.

Did she have some hormonal hiccup and stopped maturing? She acts and looks normal…do they ever just not produce eggs at all - internal, external, or other?

 

[aart]

That can happen after brooding, can take a couple-few weeks before they start laying again. This time of year they may not start back up again because of the short days.
How long was she broody before you broke her?
Was her comb larger before the broody period?
In the pic, comb/wattles look pretty 'red', is pic current?
Not all birds have the same sized combs, even the same breeds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When a hen goes broody she stops laying and uses stored energy (fat) to mostly live on so she can stay on the nest instead of having to be out finding something to eat. When she breaks from being broody she needs to reestablish those energy reserves before she starts laying again.

Also she makes some internal changes to her plumbing when she stops laying. She has to undo those changes before she starts laying again. So be patient. Sometimes they start back up laying pretty quickly, sometimes it takes a while. It doesn't sound like anything is broken to me.

 

[Disheygirl]

That can happen after brooding, can take a couple-few weeks before they start laying again. This time of year they may not start back up again because of the short days.
How long was she broody before you broke her?
Was her comb larger before the broody period?
In the pic, comb/wattles look pretty 'red', is pic current?
Not all birds have the same sized combs, even the same breeds.

Yep - pic is from the other day. I’d say she was broody for about a day before I pulled her out. Wasn’t really sure what was going on because this is my first flock and she was so young. But she was posted up on the nest and making velociraptor noises at me and puffing up her feathers when I’d try to reach a hand in, so after a day, into the wire bottom cage she went. before the wire cage, I tried popping her out of the nest a few times and she’d chill with her sisters for about five minutes and then go back in to sit. Wouldn’t even come out for treats (which they all go nuts for).

She laid an egg on that first broody day, and an egg in the wire cage, and that’s it (she was laying an egg per day before). Breaking her really didn’t take much time - I put her back the next day and it’s like she was never broody. Except no eggs since. Maybe 2022 is her year!

 

[50-45-1]

Bright red comb usually indicates egg laying.
Is it possible she IS laying eggs, just where you cant find them?
Also how can you tell who Is laying which egg?
She is a very pretty girl!

 

[Disheygirl]

This bird hasn’t started laying again. Guess she’s just going to be the flock freeloader…good thing her sisters are productive!

 

[rosemarythyme]

This bird hasn’t started laying again. Guess she’s just going to be the flock freeloader…good thing her sisters are productive!

I wouldn't expect her to start up again until spring, regardless of her comb color. I've had a bird go broody in summer, break, and then simply quit laying from that point on for the rest of the year, only to resume again the next spring.