Easter Egger stopped laying

[Strykester]

My 1.5 year old Easter Egger has always been a relatively inconsistent layer (typically anywhere from between 2 and 5 eggs per week) but she hasn’t laid in a week. She seems to be acting normal, has access to food and clean water, I don’t see any obvious signs of molting but as these are the first chickens I’ve owned, I’m not sure what to look for. The timing would seem to align with molting but I’m just not sure. Any ideas? We are in Pennsylvania so daylight shouldn’t be an issue. Wondering at what point I should start to be concerned. Thanks in advance.

 

[Folly's place]

It could be a molting issue, all normal. Could she be hiding eggs somewhere? If the birds free range, that's always possible too.
Mary

 

[Strykester]

Unfortunately they are not free range, too many predators in the area (had neighbors lose half their flock to hawks and foxes) She had a habit of laying in the coop and not the nesting box, but I haven’t been able to find any in the pine shavings in the coop but I’ll have to look closer.

 

[aart]

She's probably stopped producing due to the shortening days.
Should see feathers flying soon.
'Tis the season of more feathers than eggs.

 

[Folly's place]

That's true here! Feathers! Fewer eggs! Until more pullets start producing, at least.
Mary

 

[Strykester]

That’s what I’m thinking. I spent some time outside watching her yesterday and she’s eating, drinking, and pooping. Thinking she’s just getting ready to molt. My rooster from the same batch has lost all of his tail feathers in the last week. I’m thinking the timing lines up so that molting would make the most sense. Thanks for the input!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I could go through a long post of all the reasons you may not be seeing eggs but molting is probably the answer. A hidden nest is also a possibility.

Some chickens drop a lot of feathers quickly when they molt. They can look really rough or have bald spots. But some slow molters drop a few feathers at a time, it's really hard to tell if they are molting just by looking at them. The best way to tell that they are molting is that you see feathers floating around.

You can also look at the wings. If you see a flight feather or two missing and maybe a short one where it is growing back that shows she is molting.

 

[Strykester]

she’s not showing any obvious signs of molting in terms of bald spots or obvious feathers missing, but I’ll have to give her a closer once over. I’ve all but convinced myself it’s molting because I feel like it’s what makes the most sense given her age and the fact that she’s eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom seemingly normally.

 

[aart]

Molting and cessation of lay often happen simultaneously but are not necessarily directly connected, tho both are connected to the shortening days.
IME, the eggs usually stop before the feathers fly.
Cocks always seem to start dropping feathers the earliest, in early to mid August.

 

[Strykester]

I’ve noticed over the last two days my molting hen hasn’t been leaving the coop to come into the run unless I’m there, I think she’s being bullied (I think she’s low on the pecking order). Any way to stop this? I was considering moving her into a dog crate inside the run with her own food and water until her feathers come back in