Easter eggers started laying.. then stopped

[Polish-Pal]

Hello all!

I have a flock of 2 buff polish, 1 white crested black polish, 1 sussex, 1 splash silkie, and 3 Easter eggers. All except the silkie were hatched April 1, so they’re approaching 6 months old.

About a month and a half ago, the Easter eggers started laying. I got a super jumbo egg, a normal first egg (a little small, as expected from a new layer), two average sized ones and one shell-less one (it was not “cracked”, the membrane was intact).

Well, unfortunately the laying quickly tapered off. All the above-mentioned eggs happened within a two week span. It’s been a month with no eggs from them. My sussex and polish haven’t started laying at all yet. Thankfully their egg colors make it easy to tell. The only eggs I get are from my silkie, who is 8 months old. She consistently lays 4 a week (first time a SILKIE has been my dependable one, lol). (As an aside, she’s obsessed with laying them in the dust bath. Any tips to convince her to go up the ramp into the coop to lay in the nesting box would be great)

Any tips? Should I be concerned about the sudden start and stop for my Easter eggers? A couple days I got two eggs from them so that’s how I know at least two started laying.

I’ve just never had such a strange start and stop. I’ve had birds start laying really infrequently before at first, but it was infrequent yet consistent.

Sorry for rambling!

 

[Polish-Pal]

Data for this curious:
Feed: Purina layena pellets
Free choice: oyster shells, cherrystone grit
Supplements: ACV in water, rooster booster on occasion
Treats: dried mealworms, black sunflower seed, various greens (treats are limited to twice weekly)
Nesting boxes: 3 (with curtains)
Bedding: large flake pine shavings
Run material: cypress mulch
Waterer: Little Giant Hen Hydrator

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Are they showing any signs of molting? Are daylight hours getting below 12-14 hours per day in your area? Anything happen to cause them stress?

 

[Polish-Pal]

Are they showing any signs of molting? Are daylight hours getting below 12-14 hours per day in your area? Anything happen to cause them stress?

Hi! No signs or molting. They’re getting 12 hours of daylight. No acute stressors I can think of. No predator break ins or anything like that.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

They may have just decided to stop early this year. As long as they keep eating, drinking, acting normal I wouldn’t worry. We will see what else others have to say.

 

[MamaWolf7]

My first thought was daylight. Not sure where you live, but living really far north myself (100mi from Alaska) we see extreme changes in daylight at this time of year. 2 weeks ago we had 13hrs but now have just 11hrs of daylight. Many of my girls stopped laying a couple weeks ago as they prefer 13-14hrs of daylight. I typically use an LED grow light to keep my girls laying throughout the winter, but have not turned it on yet. I am holding off another month until all my barred rocks, Ameraucana and easter eggers are 6 months. I want them to all be as old as possible when they lay their first eggs as that promotes a larger egg size when they start to lay consistently.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Hi! No signs or molting. They’re getting 12 hours of daylight. No acute stressors I can think of. No predator break ins or anything like that.

Search out the hidden nest. I was getting 3-4 eggs from six hens a day, EE was 2-3 a week. A stroll through the woods revealed a secret nest, covered with leaves and that EE clearly was there very often.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Hello all!

I have a flock of 2 buff polish, 1 white crested black polish, 1 sussex, 1 splash silkie, and 3 Easter eggers. All except the silkie were hatched April 1, so they’re approaching 6 months old.

About a month and a half ago, the Easter eggers started laying. I got a super jumbo egg, a normal first egg (a little small, as expected from a new layer), two average sized ones and one shell-less one (it was not “cracked”, the membrane was intact).

Well, unfortunately the laying quickly tapered off. All the above-mentioned eggs happened within a two week span. It’s been a month with no eggs from them. My sussex and polish haven’t started laying at all yet. Thankfully their egg colors make it easy to tell. The only eggs I get are from my silkie, who is 8 months old. She consistently lays 4 a week (first time a SILKIE has been my dependable one, lol). (As an aside, she’s obsessed with laying them in the dust bath. Any tips to convince her to go up the ramp into the coop to lay in the nesting box would be great)

Any tips? Should I be concerned about the sudden start and stop for my Easter eggers? A couple days I got two eggs from them so that’s how I know at least two started laying.

I’ve just never had such a strange start and stop. I’ve had birds start laying really infrequently before at first, but it was infrequent yet consistent.

Sorry for rambling!

One of my chickens had layed everyday of her qauentine but as soon as she got added to the flock she stopped,she is still not laying but will probably start one she will know her spot in the flock and feels more comfortable