Egg bound or is it the weather?

[TerriChad2020]

So I have a hen(her name is Isis) who's going on 2 years old, I got her with 3 gl sebright bantams & last spring we introduced 3 more to the flock so a total of 7. The sebright started laying again about a month ago. 1 oddly warm day and it's gotten quite cold off and on since and they are still on a roll with laying. However the new babies laid thru winter as well as my Isis the babies allowed down a little and are basically fairly steady now. Isis has since her first egg laid about 5 eggs a week and she has the only very noticeable egg since hers is a jumbo white egg and the others are variations of pink tan brown and cream small to medium in size. Now here's my issue. It has been very rainy with a couple half sunny half cloudy days in between and Isis hasn't laid an egg in about a week. Babies and bantams are going strong. I have seen her in the nesting box here and there through out the week since she's last laid but no egg. She is other than going in the box and not leaving an egg behind she is not showing any signs of being egg bound. But I'm worried since my not so strong layers are still laying and she's not. Her comb is bright red she's not walking like a penguin and when I let everyone out to free range she is out and about running all over. Anybody know what could be going on here?

 

[igorsMistress]

Are you sure she’s not laying somewhere else? What are you feeding them and do you provide oyster shell for additional calcium?

It’s possible she has been hiding eggs because she may be thinking about going broody. It could be that she’s just not ready to start up again, or maybe she needs extra calcium even if you’re giving them layer rations. If she’s pooping ok and acting normal then I would say she’s not egg bound, but if you feel her abdomen you should be able to feel an egg in there if she is. A warm epsom salt bath with a light abdominal massage can help her pass it.

 

[TerriChad2020]

Are you sure she’s not laying somewhere else? What are you feeding them and do you provide oyster shell for additional calcium?

It’s possible she has been hiding eggs because she may be thinking about going broody. It could be that she’s just not ready to start up again, or maybe she needs extra calcium even if you’re giving them layer rations. If she’s pooping ok and acting normal then I would say she’s not egg bound, but if you feel her abdomen you should be able to feel an egg in there if she is. A warm epsom salt bath with a light abdominal massage can help her pass it.

I have felt her belly and didn't feel anything. She did go broody last spring. She is my only chicken that never stops laying(besides when she went broody last spring). She was in the nesting box again today but when I returned home from work my husband had let them out to free range a bit and he said there was only a baby's(my baby's are actually a year old now, faverolles) but yeah nothing from her again and we have been searching all known hiding spots as well as any place we can think of they could hide eggs. I feed them a layer feed as well as provide oyster shells and they get snacks and table scraps(veggies mostly sometimes grilled chicken and fruits) I also scramble them up some eggs occasionally.

 

[igorsMistress]

You did all the things, so maybe she's just not ready yet. I have a gal that started up at least a month or so after the others. As long as she was healthy, eating and pooping I figured she's ok and she'd get around to it. Some girls are just slower to get started it seems. Or maybe you haven't found her hiding spot, they are tricky that way.

 

[Mrs. K]

If she is bright eyed, eating and active, she is fine, is a pretty darn good rule of thumb. They do take occasional breaks. OR I would not be surprised if she is hiding eggs, look closely or sit down there. Even if they are hiding eggs, they still sing the egg song.

And yes, I have found hidden nests where they could not possibly hide a nest. Look closely.

Mrs K

 

[TerriChad2020]

Hmm ok. I'm going to continue searching for hidden eggs. It's just strange that she has been laying for about a year and a half never stops and barely slows down in the winter. The faverolles slowed down in the winter they are slowly taking back off and the bantams that completely stop in winter started back up on a really warm yet still winter day and they've been going strong since. Now Isis did go broody over a nest of no eggs last spring and she stopped laying in that time about 10 days of being in a broody box to break her (or chicken jail as we were calling it) once she was broke I think maybe 2 days went by and she was right back to laying on schedule again. I think my girls are confused how things really work since I don't have a rooster but there is one in the nghbrhood that they listen to when he alerts his flock of overhead predators. I checked her bottom out again and she doesn't have anything in there so she's either not laying yet still healthy or she's got a really good hiding place. Her eggs are super jumbo sized lol. Thank you all for your pointers I'll update if I find the eggs.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hmm ok. I'm going to continue searching for hidden eggs. It's just strange that she has been laying for about a year and a half never stops and barely slows down in the winter. The faverolles slowed down in the winter they are slowly taking back off and the bantams that completely stop in winter started back up on a really warm yet still winter day and they've been going strong since. Now Isis did go broody over a nest of no eggs last spring and she stopped laying in that time about 10 days of being in a broody box to break her (or chicken jail as we were calling it) once she was broke I think maybe 2 days went by and she was right back to laying on schedule again. I think my girls are confused how things really work since I don't have a rooster but there is one in the nghbrhood that they listen to when he alerts his flock of overhead predators. I checked her bottom out again and she doesn't have anything in there so she's either not laying yet still healthy or she's got a really good hiding place. Her eggs are super jumbo sized lol. Thank you all for your pointers I'll update if I find the eggs.

If she has been a laying machine it could be that she’s just taking a break. I really wouldn’t worry as long as she’s acting normal.

 

[Lillith37]

It could be that she’s hiding eggs, or getting ready to lay, or that she has an underlying issue affecting her egg laying. Especially hens that have intense laying careers can run into reproductive trouble as they get older. Keep an eye on her, feel her abdomen compared to other healthy laying hens and if you can monitor her weight and body condition that’s a good way to get a sense of their overall health. Every individual has their own “normal”. You can also do a vent check and feel those bones around the vent to get a sense of whether she is in active lay or not.

 

[TerriChad2020]

It could be that she’s hiding eggs, or getting ready to lay, or that she has an underlying issue affecting her egg laying. Especially hens that have intense laying careers can run into reproductive trouble as they get older. Keep an eye on her, feel her abdomen compared to other healthy laying hens and if you can monitor her weight and body condition that’s a good way to get a sense of their overall health. Every individual has their own “normal”. You can also do a vent check and feel those bones around the vent to get a sense of whether she is in active lay or not.

I knew about feeling the vent abdomen area to see if there is an egg I didn't know you tell tell she's actively laying.. how would that feel exactly??

 

[Lillith37]

I knew about feeling the vent abdomen area to see if there is an egg I didn't know you tell tell she's actively laying.. how would that feel exactly??

You’re not just feeling for an egg when you feel the abdomen. Any kind of excessive swelling or distension, hardness or fluid is a cause for concern.

This article will help you do the vent & pelvic bone checks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...t=Feel for the 2 bony,and humans' finger size.)