EE's Not laying after molt!

Hi, I have 2 EEs (both hatchery birds). They will be a year old next month. One started laying last summer, 2 or 3 eggs a week. She stopped in the fall, and I was shocked to find a pale green egg in the coop last week! I don't think my other EE has ever laid an egg. Right now I have Ameraucana eggs in the incubator; I've heard that the true Ameraucanas lay better than EEs. Will be interesting to find out. Good luck with your girls. Some people swear by Cayenne pepper I think, sprinkled on their food to get them to lay.

 

I hate to be a bearer of bad news but I'll admit to you, EE's can be weird birds. My only EE girl from a hatchery, for example, lays about 20 eggs a year. Honestly. Yours may just have something bothering her, or maybe she's just taking a break. Higher protein in her diet or even a little cayenne pepper may put her back into cycle.

From my experience of various colors and bloodlines of true Ameraucanas, yes, they are more reliable. Some strains you'll have to wait 6-9 months for them to first start laying, but in general they're good layers. Mine began, luckily, at 5-6 months.

 

Three of my EE's started molting in Sept. and stopped laying. They finally started laying again on Jan 1st ~ Happy New Year!

 

The limited experience I have had with EEs as well as the limited experience of my family and friends is that they are incredibly unreliable layers. A friend had one that laid maybe 20 eggs in her lifetime, all her pullet year. She finally was culled at 4 years old. Hadn't laid an egg in years.

 

One of my EEs (Stitch) lays me a pretty blue egg almost every day for 3-4 days then skips a day. She is VERY consistent.

 

I have a hen that lays green eggs, she does'nt look like an EE though, She laid at least six big green eggs a week all spring and summer. She molted late and has not laid an egg since. I have a Delaware that is laying two a week and an American Game that laid her first egg today!!!!!

 

I guess EEs can vary, since during the warm months my 2 will lay 5-7 a week. One just finished a molt, and my other has just started. The one who finished started laying right after her tail grew in.

 

I bet she will lay when the days get longer this spring.