Concerned Parent

[Roddonna]

Our one egg laying hen is about 7 months old and has been laying for about a month or so now and this whole week we have not had a single egg?

is this normal?
should we be worried?
what signs should we be looking for if this is bad?
will she lay again?

Thanks.

 

[jdoane]

Is she starting to molt?

 

[Roddonna]

no. no feathers any where

 

[jdoane]

Let me just preface this by saying I haven't lived through a molt yet but just did a bunch of reading yesterday. Sounds like you can be going through a molt without seeing much in the way of feather loss. Are you seeing any pin feathers coming in around the neck? Yours would be young for a molt but it's the only thing that I could come up with.

Sorry I can't be of ore help!

 

[New Chicken Lad]

Your hen is too young to molt... The molt cycle is based on their egg laying cycle, typically first molt will be approximately 11 months after they start laying-> so first molt actually happens when hen is about 1 1/2 years old.

I see your in Texas.. How's your weather been??? Heat is a big stressor for chickens, particular for buff orpingtons, which is what you have, right??? BO's are better acclimated to colder weather like in the north east (I'm in northern NJ and have 3 BOs & a speckled sussex).

What are you feeding her??? She should be getting a layer feed, has the calcium required for laying hens. Do you give her oyster shell ??(calcium supplement), if not you should...

Also, check her for lice or mites. I she has some kind of bug infestation, that could stress her system and she would not lay.

Also II, could she be going broody?? Although I think she's a little to young, if she is laying, then she could be starting to be broody, which too will stop the egg laying..

You can search all these things on this site and get bunches of info... Also, check youtube.com for videos on the lice or mites, you will find excellent videos to show you exactly what to look for and how to fix..
Best of luck, Helen

 

[New Chicken Lad]

Oh crap, she could be egg bound too!!! search for help, never had this problem... I've read that giving her a warm bath will help to relax her muscles and help her to move the egg thru...

 

[Roddonna]

Thanks I will keep researching

 

[New Chicken Lad]

Roddonna, If you post some more info about your hen, such as how she's behaving particularly if it's different than how she was when she was laying, is she eating and drinking, what do you feed her, does she stay in her nest box, what are you using for bedding, what color is her comb & wattle, is she active or lethargic, how where her eggs when she was laing, etc. members can try to help you more. I feel bad that I just fired off, search for this, search for that.

Helen

 

[Roddonna]

no no thank you . This is new to me.

I got home late last night and had to leave early this morning so I did not see her in person.
My wife took care of them last night.
to my understanding she is eating and drinking but I will be able to get a good look at her tonight and put some more info on here in the morning.

the eggs she was laying were great. had good shell and she was just about on a schedule. is wavered about an hour or so. I have pine shavings for bedding
and keep it clean and fresh.

We have not gotten an egg from her in about a week.

we feed all of them LAYENA Pellet food the blue bag.

 

[Roddonna]

Got home last night and checked her out.
her comb has great color and so does the waddle.
I think the heat down here might be jacking with her.
We also gave her a bath just in case and nothing happened.
she walks normal too.

Plenty of water and food available
I do have to look in to the oyster shell stuff tho.

she is in great spirits so I dont believe she is bound up.