Easter Egger laying sporadically

[hellotrixie]

Hi,

I've read through a bunch of the other threads on this topic, but I'm not sure I've found anything that matches my situation. Or maybe I have but I'm just missing it.

I have a 14 month old Easter Egger who started laying Christmas week 2018. She laid 4-6, full-size, hard shelled eggs a week (never taking more than a day off at a time), until the end of April. Then her laying became sporadic - maybe 1 - 3 eggs a week, taking 2-3 days off at a time. We're in North Carolina, and this coincided with an early hot spell (high 90's).

Health Impressions:

• During that first hot spell she had some watery poos and a messy bum a couple of times. This resolved after a couple of days, and she seems to have adjusted to the heat now.
• No signs of illness or parasites, but I have not had a fecal done yet (I will).
• Not losing feathers
• Eats/drinks normally. Crop is full in the evening and empty in the morning.
• Soft pliable abdomen, normal looking vent (no discharge, not puffy).
• She is at the bottom of the pecking order in my 4 hen flock and is sometimes bullied, especially at roosting time.
• She has always been flightly/skittish and continues to be so
• I see her in the nest box sometimes, but most of the time she leaves after a while without laying.

Feed:

• Locally produced/sourced layer feed (Reedy Form Farm 17% Organic Soy-Free Layer Feed)
• Oyster shell available free choice
• Free ranges in my fenced yard 2 - 6 hours a day
• Fresh water is always available
• Occasional whole-grain scratch, kitchen veggie scraps, and grubbies as treats

Habitat:

• Covered run ~100 sqft and 5x5 ft coop for 4 hens, cleaned out regularly
• 3 nest boxes available
• Fenced yard, approximately .75 acres for free ranging. My husband and I have searched thoroughly for hidden eggs, but can't find any.

Flock:

• My other 3 hens are all laying regularly in the nest boxes, with 1-2 days off per week
• Health checks all seem normal

Questions:

• What are the reasons an otherwise healthy-seeming hen goes off her lay at this age? Should I even be worried?
• Can a hen be an internal layer but still lay externally sometimes?
• Can a hen be molting without losing many feathers? And in the summer?
• Should I maybe switch to pelleted feed? Even though my hens seem healthy and no one else has cut back on laying?
• Anything obvious that I'm missing/not doing?

Thanks so much for any advice/input!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a 14 month old Easter Egger who started laying Christmas week 2018. She laid 4-6, full-size, hard shelled eggs a week (never taking more than a day off at a time), until the end of April. Then her laying became sporadic - maybe 1 - 3 eggs a week, taking 2-3 days off at a time.

Most pullets lay like gang busters when they start. Then it normalizes with age.

Hatchery EE have been VERY unreliable and sporadic layers in my experience.

Watery poo during hot spells and decreased laying are both normal.

A hen cannot molt without losing feathers as that's the very definition of molting. Though molting can last past the feather loss and is still considered to be in molt while they are regrowing. It can happen in summer, though it isn't common.

I would not switch feeds... unless you want to.

Not sure if internal and regular laying can happen in the same time frame or not.

It doesn't sound like you have anything that needs to worry about... from what I can tell. It's always good to keep your eyes open for anything that's off! But this just sounds like standard hatchery EE to me.

I got ONE EE that does lay pretty regularly.. most have not.

Pics always welcome!

So we can get a look at her.

 

[hellotrixie]

It doesn't sound like you have anything that needs to worry about... from what I can tell. It's always good to keep your eyes open for anything that's off! But this just sounds like standard hatchery EE to me.

Thanks for all your answers! She's definitely a hatchery EE - I got her from Tractor Supply before I knew better. All my chickens came from there, but I haven't had any trouble to speak of.

I thought as much about the hot spells/watery poo and molting from my research. I'll just keep an eye on her but assume for now that this is just her new normal

And...here she is! We call her Chocobo. My husband named her after the big chickens in Final Fantasy. Do you know if her coloring has a particular name? I've seen other EEs that look really similar.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you know if her coloring has a particular name?

I don't think there is a name for her feather pattern.

She looks spoiled! Er uh... well cared for!

 

[Chickenmamanurse79]

I have a laying question. I bought 2 14 month old hens 2 week ( 1 rir and 1 silver laced wyandot. How long should it take for them to get adjusted to their new surroundings and start laying?

 

[hellotrixie]

She looks spoiled! Er uh... well cared for!

LOL, I think my chickens are pretty "well cared for"! My girls are pretty cooperative about coming into the screen porch because they know their grubbies are in there. They always come when I shake the bag!

She's very sweet and I love her blue eggs so I just want to make sure I don't miss anything with her health or let anything get out of control. It is good to know that she's probably just being a normall hatchery EE

 

[Peppercorngal]

LOL, I think my chickens are pretty "well cared for"! My girls are pretty cooperative about coming into the screen porch because they know their grubbies are in there. They always come when I shake the bag!

She's very sweet and I love her blue eggs so I just want to make sure I don't miss anything with her health or let anything get out of control. It is good to know that she's probably just being a normall hatchery EE

I have three easter eggers and the first year they laid pretty much daily (except for the one I named broody, because after her first month of laying she got broody on me!). Now in their second year I only get eggs from them at most every other day. And sometimes every second day. Yeah, they are not daily layers, those EE's! I'm sure your girl is fine, just being who she is!

Copper, one of my EE's is next to the Barred Rock on the end in this photo. Looks a little like a police line-up!

 

[aart]

Thanks so much for any advice/input!!

Just gotta say GREAT post!!

As to why and what to do....some birds take breaks, EE can be sporadic layers.
Only thing I can suggest is to do is check her pelvic points for laying status.
She may need to be confined to reestablish coop nests habits.

Does she seem to be suffering from the heat?
Excessive panting, lethargy, etc.

 

[hellotrixie]

Just gotta say GREAT post!!

As to why and what to do....some birds take breaks, EE can be sporadic layers.
Only thing I can suggest is to do is check her pelvic points for laying status.
She may need to be confined to reestablish coop nests habits.

Does she seem to be suffering from the heat?
Excessive panting, lethargy, etc.

Thanks aart!!

Her pelvic bones seem nice and wide, as they have been since around the week before she started laying in December.

I didn't mention it but there were several VERY rainy days where she was confined, but it didn't seem to make a difference in her egg quantities.

The last couple of weeks have been unseasonably cool (80s) for us, but even when it was in the 90s she wasn't really showing signs of heat stress. She did have the watery poos the first time it got really hot, but that seems to have passed.

I think she just may be turning out to be a sporadic layer, which I'm fine with as long as she's healthy. These are my first chickens so I have been trying to stay on top of their health and be really observant this past year (got them on April 20, 2018).

Thanks again!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a laying question. I bought 2 14 month old hens 2 week ( 1 rir and 1 silver laced wyandot. How long should it take for them to get adjusted to their new surroundings and start laying?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Are you able to post pics of the ladies you bought? Did the previous owner claim they were currently laying?

Most of the birds I have re-homed didn't miss a beat. Some even laying eggs on their way to their new home.

However each is an individual and may be effected differently. Did you confine them to their new home? How far did they travel? What are you feeding? What were the conditions they came from?

Two weeks *should* be plenty of time. Is it possible they are hiding a nest?