Easter Egger - no eggs

[flock mommasan]

I have an Easter Egger that I got in November 2016 at about 10 weeks old. She started producing beautiful blue eggs around March or April 2017 but stopped in August and proceeded to molt in the fall. It's now May 1st and still no eggs! Her sister Easter Egger followed the same schedule but restarted producing eggs in late March. She seems healthy and happy. I've tried having a heart-to-heart with her -- but still no eggs! Any idea what's going on? Has she gone on strike permanently??

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some Easter eggers are better producers than others. Some lay fairly regularly where others are sporadic.

 

[flock mommasan]

Some Easter eggers are better producers than others. Some lay fairly regularly where others are sporadic.

I could understand the sporadic laying if she had been like that the first year, but she was a fairly regular layer. It just seems odd to me that she wouldn't lay anything at all this 2nd year. She's a beautiful bird -- she probably knows I won't get rid of her....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

In my experiences EE are good layers their first season, than production starts to fall off. Keeping them on a higher protein ration can help to optimize laying. What are you feeding? I recommend 18-20%. Blue and green eggs are more taxing to lay as the shell color contains bilirubin, a component of blood, so a good diet is important.

 

[WhiteWyan]

Our Easter egger didn't start back up until maybe a week ago. Just give her time.

 

[sawilliams]

I agree my ee are my worst layers some better then others but compared to any of my brown layers the quantity is not there. But i do love the blue and green eggs. I have some that will stop laying for weeks at a time in the middle if summer becuase its too hot or too cold and even for first years I have never had one lay over winter. Unfortunatly they are just difficult when it comes to egg count. Heck I had 1 that fist lay her first egg till the start of her second spring when she was almost 9 months old.

I do agree a higher protien feed like a flock raiser does help a lot

 

[RWise]

I use lights in the winter to get eggs, this does not work with all of them, but keeps me enuf eggs for the table, and maybe a few for a broody. Yes I do hatch in the winter, at first I did not like the idea of chicks in the snow, but all went well.
To get more eggs is why folks breed in leghorns and RIRs. (egg color too)
My 7 YO still drops an egg or 2,, a month,,,not only did she lay all winter but layed through her second molt. But they are not all like her,,,

 

[Sparrowsong98]

My ee's started late in life (at 11 months) and were laying three eggs a week or more ever since. However, if you do not put a light on them, they seem to quit earlier in the season and start up later.

 

[flock mommasan]

In my experiences EE are good layers their first season, than production starts to fall off. Keeping them on a higher protein ration can help to optimize laying. What are you feeding? I recommend 18-20%. Blue and green eggs are more taxing to lay as the shell color contains bilirubin, a component of blood, so a good diet is important.

I'll double check but we feed our chickens a layer feed. However, maybe I'm giving too many treats (leftover kale, lettuce, carrots from the garden) and she's filling up on snack food. Thanks for the info!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'll double check but we feed our chickens a layer feed. However, maybe I'm giving too many treats (leftover kale, lettuce, carrots from the garden) and she's filling up on snack food. Thanks for the info!

When I switched to a higher protein a few years back, I feed an All Flock ration, my than 8 year old EE suddenly started laying again. She laid around 8 eggs before quitting, and laid another 6 or so the next year. I didn't know an old lady chicken could fire back up again.

All my other issues disappeared too, like occasional feather picking, and egg eating. Layer is almost always 16% protein, though some are selling 18%. The 16% is the minimum daily requirements, and formulated to be fed as the sole ration. Extras will mess that up.

By feeding a higher protein I have some leeway for extras without compromising them. Did you switch to a higher protein feed during their molt? Another thing that should be done if fed a layer, otherwise the molt can leave them deficient and behind.