Copper Maran quit laying eggs

[lubelle]

I have two Black Copper Marans that are egg laying age. We have three other hens, but they are not quite ready to begin laying yet. Both Copper Marans started to lay eggs about 3 months ago. One has consistently been a good layer, but the other one only laid eggs for about two weeks at most and then stopped. She has not laid an egg in about 10 weeks. The eggs she did lay were are normal and both hens laid in the nesting box. I have looked all around the yard for a "secret" nest, but have found nothing. The non laying hen actually gets in the nesting box with the laying hen while she is laying an egg. There have been no new additions to the flock in recent months and no changes to the coop or environment. They were molting for a bit, but this has stopped. We are in Louisiana and our weather has not really changed either. She is not acting ill or egg bound. She is still active and eating normally. Any thoughts and why she might have started to lay, but then quit? Thanks.

 

[Kelsie2290]

I wonder if she is either still in a mini molt or doing a poor job of going broody. Some of the Marans pullets I have had this year have done very similar to what you are describing, lay for a month or so and then quit for a while and some went really broody and some just sort of played around with being broody, they were all slow to get started laying again compared to other breeds. Two weeks is kind of short, but who knows. You have checked her over, prodded her abdomen etc and she seems normal?