Egg-laying issue diagnosis???

[aart]

Yeah, check before treating.
You've got to get way down to the skin, it's not easy.
Around vent is most likely place to find them.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

If you do find some...check out this thread:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray

 

[RocketDog1]

Yeah, check before treating.
You've got to get way down to the skin, it's not easy.
Around vent is most likely place to find them.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

If you do find some...check out this thread:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray

Thanks! Will do.
I'm new at this and not clear on how skin & feather lice/mites would affect egg production. I understand how internal parasites would create this problem, but how do external parasites cause issues with eggs?

 

[JedJackson]

One of our barred rocks had been a fairly prolific egg-layer, giving us about 5 or 6 eggs per week. Two months ago she stopped laying. Her health seemed fine at first and I checked her for a bound egg but didn't detect anything. Then one day she seemed rather sick, standing around with her tail down. That night she laid a soft, rubbery egg and immediately her health seemed to return to normal. Still, she wouldn't lay eggs. I figured it was a calcium deficiency so I started adding Purina Layena to her normal laying mash and also a separate feeder with oyster shells. Still no eggs.
It seems that every 10 days or so she goes back into a funk where she's listless and her tail droops, then she lays another soft egg. Once she passes the egg, she's back to normal.
Our other hens are on the same diet and are all doing fine. Has anyone out there experienced this? Any ideas?

Two other possibilities: Egg Drop Syndrome, which is a virus and can last for up to 10 weeks. Few symptoms but reduced production and soft shelled or no shelled eggs are symptoms.

And Vitamin D deficiency, which is a major cause of soft shelled egg laying. I wouldn't expect this on commercial layer rations, though, but if this bird's system is compromised by some infection or disease, her ability to retain and use vitamins could be compromised as well, hopefully temporarily.

 

[Folly's place]

External parasites cause stress, and any stress can alter or stop egg production. They also cause anemia, which can be fatal. I found this out the hard way a few years ago. Mary

 

[RocketDog1]

Two other possibilities: Egg Drop Syndrome, which is a virus and can last for up to 10 weeks. Few symptoms but reduced production and soft shelled or no shelled eggs are symptoms.

And Vitamin D deficiency, which is a major cause of soft shelled egg laying. I wouldn't expect this on commercial layer rations, though, but if this bird's system is compromised by some infection or disease, her ability to retain and use vitamins could be compromised as well, hopefully temporarily.

Hmmm...Egg Drop Syndrome seems interesting, especially since she shows no symptoms except for the few hours preceding the passing of a soft, jelly-like egg. Thank you.